“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet.” (from Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet)

Hidden behind tall, brick walls, the Chelsea Physic Garden in London is like a secret garden. Thought the sky was gray and cloudy during our visit, it never rained. I must admit, since London is known for being rainy, we have had extremely good luck with the weather here.

The Chelsea Physic Garden is not set up as a pleasure garden with beautiful smelling flowers. It was founded, in the 1600s to serve a very specific purpose. Originally used for training apothecaries, who worked in a nearby hospital, it is set up in different sections, each with its own purpose. Today, this physic garden remains an important resource for medical research. The pharmaceutical section had small plants used as herbal remedies to treat different ailments from intestinal to psychological problems. People have been using plants and flowers for thousands of years to cure almost every illness you can imagine.

We also learned about conservation and renewal. After hearing about the long history of plants and flowers in medicine, I considered how integral they are to our lives and how protecting them is important to our well-being.

Wondering how this all ties into Shakespeare? Different plants and potions are regularly mentioned in Shakespeare’s plays. For example, the potion used in the final scenes Romeo and Juliet isn’t just a fantastic story -- there are actually plants that can make someone appear dead. However, such planets are incredibly dangerous. And, remember the mandrakes that screamed when plucked from the ground in Harry Potter? They have those here as well, and the myth of this screaming plant has been around for a very long time. Though, resisted the temptation to pull one out of the ground.

After spending the morning in an English garden, we ended our workday with traditional afternoon tea.

Enhance your British knowledge: Learn about the history of tea, which arrived in England around the time of the Plague.

That’s Entertainment! Learn about the theatrical world.

Copyright © 2009 ProjectExplorer, LTD. All Rights Reserved.