An award-winning herb garden that was once just derelict wasteland behind the Geffrye Museum is now marking its 25th anniversary.
It was laid out in 1992 on a rundown patch of earth next to the Shoreditch railway arches and has since matured into “an oasis of beauty and botanical interest”, the educational centre points out.
The “outdoor classroom” was added to Geffrye’s exhibition of urban living-rooms through the ages as an open study area and home to wildlife such as hedgehogs, birds, bees and butterflies.
“It’s been wonderful watching the garden flourish over time,” head gardener Heather Stevens recalled. “Many people enjoy it, including the Duchess of Cornwall.”
The garden was featured by the BBC this summer on Gardeners’ World, with its 170 different herbs and plants grouped by common usage for cosmetics, medicine, culinary and aromatic, with seating as a perfect setting for outdoor nature studies.
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