Horticulture in The Green Park

Horticulture in The Green Park

Sit beneath the shade of a silver lime. Meander through a sea of wildflowers. Lose yourself in 40 acres of open parkland. The Green Park – the clue is in the name.

The Green Park – an oasis in plain sight

Today, London’s The Green Park is the most peaceful of all the central Royal Parks. It’s history, however, was anything but. Originally one of Henry VIII’s many hunting grounds, The Green Park of the 18th century hosted royal firework spectaculars, duels and the odd failed ballooning attempt.

Today, whether you’re city sightseeing or on a lunch break, the undulating grasslands, shady plane trees and woodlands of The Green Park are wonderful places to recharge. Don’t be deceived, however – the ‘naturalness’ of the landscape was carefully conceived by the celebrated 18th century architect, John Nash, who created the formal avenues of The Mall and Constitution Hill. 

The Green Park – why no flowers?

The Green Park is remarkable – and possibly unique – for having no formal flower beds. It’s said that Queen Catherine, wife of King Charles II, was outraged to discover that her husband had been picking flowers in the park for another woman. She ordered that every single flower in the park should be pulled up and no more planted. Today though, both The Green Park and St. James’s Park are famous for the thousands upon thousands of daffodils that bloom here each spring.

Instead, the trees have become the heroes of The Green Park landscape – from the lofty London plane trees to the rarer silver limes and black poplar.

The wilder side of The Green Park – the Coronation Meadow

One of the favourite places to visit in The Green Park, especially in spring and summer, is The Queen’s Meadow, one of the Coronation Meadows. The Queen’s Meadow was the 90th meadow to be opened as part of the meadow creation partnership between Plantlife, the Wildlife Trust and the Rare Breeds Survival Trust. It commemorates the late Queen Elizabeth II’s 90th birthday.

Meadows take time. So take your time to enjoy The Queen’s Meadow, and its abundance of wildflowers, from poppies and cornflowers to cranesbill and red clover. 

The eastern side of The Green Park – rolling back the centuries

The River Tyburn – one of London’s ‘lost rivers’ – once flowed through the quiet glades and woodland of The Green Park. We’re working to restore the original, almost rural atmosphere around this area; letting the grass grow long, planting more trees and creating wildlife-friendly copses.