Quiet London: Osterley Park Summer Garden

This isn’t the first time I have written about Osterley Park on these pages.  At the beginning of this year I wrote about the joy of visiting this tranquil spot out west on the Piccadilly Line.  I’ve been to the gardens a couple of times in the last month or so and having been completely thrilled by the gloriousness of them in their summer finery, I feel they more than deserve a little post all of their own.

Osterley Park and House is owned by the National Trust and is a beautiful place to visit at any time of year. However in the summer, it is the gardens which really come into their own.  They are vast and varied and beautiful and a far cry from London’s hot and dusty summer streets.

One of the joys of these gardens are the surprises they spring upon you at almost every turn.  To the front of the house is a lake and large parkland area where families picnic and play games.  But tucked just to the right of the house in the corner of the courtyard is the little gateway to the real garden treasures.  These are National Trust gardens and so to go beyond the gate you do need to pay the entrance fee or be a member of the National Trust.  (If you love houses and gardens, membership is something I would definitely recommend.  You will soon find you have more than reimbursed the membership fee when you realise how many National Trust treats there are to enjoy).

But back to the gardens. If you haven’t been before, grab a map from the cheery NT volunteer and enter through the gate, and you will find yourself at the back of the house.  Immediatley in front of you is a large meadow, hemmed by trees and woodland and gently winding walks.  The back of the house is just as elegant as the front with curved steps leading down to the gardens.  There are also some well placed wrought iron benches if you want to sit a while.

The Tudor Walled Garden

The Tudor Walled gardens are packed full of botanical beauty. Hidden behind a small iron gate flanked by brick pillars, a foot path will lead you into another world.  Rusty red brick walls are lined with sweetly scented roses in shades of delicate pink and peach.  Flower beds are filled with poppies and peonies and carnations and sweet peas and an array of cottage garden flowers that would sit happily in any English country garden.

The paths wend there way through the flower beds, bees hum gently and when the sun is warm the light dances from the petals and leaves making some of them almost iridescent in colour.  The day I was there, which admittedly was mid week there were maybe only 3 or 4 other people wandering through.

Another part of the walled garden is the ornaments vegetable garden.  This is very large and apart from flowers a wide variety of vegetables are grown here which supply the cafe.  There is also a plot given over to pumpkins and squashes for celebrations in the autumn months.

Mrs Childs Flower Garden

Who is Mrs Child you may ask?  I know I did.  Mrs Child lived at Osterley during the 18th Century and  could see the gardens from her dressing room window. She was a keen gardner herself and loved the garden to be filled with fashionable and exotic plants.  This has been faithfully recreated today and is at its absolute peak in the summer months.  So if you are planning a visit, now is definitely the time to go.

There are a number flower beds which twist and turn upon themselves and take you though an array of flowers in multiple ways giving a number of different views.  Just like the walled garden, the variety of  flowers here is enviable.  When I visited in June, cornflowers, lupins, foxgloves, and poppies were in abundance.

The Garden House

The Garden House was built in 1780 and was used by Mrs Child for entertaining guests.  She filled it with exotic plants and shrubs including orange and lemon trees, pineapples and grapes.  Today it has retained its exotic feel  as it is filled with succulents, geraniums and exotic blooms in terracotta pots.  There are also still some beautiful lemon trees.

This a lovely space which looks out onto Mrs Childs flower beds and beyond.  It is cool and calming and gives a lovely vantage point into the rest of the garden.

Osterley is another oner of London’s quiet restorative places.  If you read my last post on ‘The Wild Remedy’ you will understand when I say the emotional and mental health benefits of spending time in a garden such as Osterley are priceless.

Be inspired by some of my other Quiet London Posts.