The garden Museum is located right at the entrance to Lambeth bridge. This is a touching, sad and useful for a tourist place.

The Museum is housed in the former Church of St. Mary. The Church, which for centuries was almost part of Lambeth Palace (the residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury, situated nearby, in the second half of the twentieth century was going to be demolished. She suffered during the war and was abandoned. Her and would demolish together with its beautiful tower, if in 1976, rosemary and John Nicholson not come here to explore the churchyard.

This ordinary couple wanted to see the grave of the Royal gardener John Tradescant. Rosemary so saddened from the sight of boarded-up Church, I went to the reception to the Archbishop of Canterbury. He said – this is the place to Waterloo station, but if rosemary will figure out what to do with the Church, let him try to reverse the decision of the authorities.

Rosemary came up with: to transform the Church and cemetery in the world's first Museum of the history of horticulture. Simple housewife got talent show organizer – when in 1977 she founded the Fund Tradescants, among his patrons were the Queen mother and Prince Charles. In 1981, the Museum opened its first exhibition.

The Museum is small, although it is going to expand. Its main gallery is located in the former nave. It exhibits garden tools all eras (from the guns of the Neolithic period to the Victorian rectifier cucumbers), engravings, photographs, books on gardening.

In the stained glass window is visible monogram Tradescantia. The Royal gardeners of the XVII century Tradescant (both named John) did a lot for the development of horticulture in England. This is in honor of Carl Linnaeus named all known plant tradescantia. Both are buried here together with family members. Tombstone is striking – it is carved family crest, the seven-headed dragon, skull, the ruins of the pyramids. Epitaph on the top of the tomb – authorship friend Tradescantia John Aubrey. In verses reads: when the angels shall sound Tradescant will rise to turn this garden into a Paradise.

A small memorial garden here really is. It was developed by the Marquis of Salisbury, by including only those plants that are associated with the names of Tradescantia. Here is the grave of Vice-Admiral William of Blaye, the captain of the rebel ship "bounty". The inscription on the monument Bly recalls that he brought breadfruit from Tahiti to the West Indies.

In the Museum café you can eat in the fresh air. Vegetarian (sometimes vegan) menu every day, in soups, pies, casseroles, salads used herbs and spices with a small Museum and garden, tea is served freshly made cakes. A great place to relax and recover from the tourist bustle.