Chelsea Physic Garden is the oldest botanic garden in London. London's secret garden, its an oasis of calm in the City, tucked away beside the river Thames in historic Chelsea. Our walls shelter a unique living collection of around 5,000 different edible, useful, medicinal and historical plants. The garden was founded in 1673, as the Apothecaries’ Garden with the purpose of training apprentices in the identification and use of medicinal plants. With our rich history and worldwide reputation as a botanical garden we've got a huge amount on offer to explore and inspire. A centre for learning, Chelsea Physic Garden continues to play a significant role in education, running an exciting and varied range of courses and events for adults and activities for over 5000 school children a year.