This four-day course will explore the history of medicinal plants and botanical gardens from a European context, from the 1st Century AD to the present.

It will focus on eight key medicinal plants to tell the stories of their uses, histories and identification, and highlight the importance and relevance of modern botanical gardens via:

• Walks and tours around CPG
• A plant identification workshop
• The chance to see some of the same plants in ancient Herbals, books and herbarium specimens in our collection.
• Practical sessions to prepare them into usable natural remedies

Days 1 & 2 will focus on the history and identification of the eight key plants (with Garden tours) and Days 3 & 4 will be practical herbalism.

If you’re interested in how and why herbs have been used past and present, this is a course for you.

Ticket price all materials and lunch from the Physic Garden Café each day

No previous knowledge needed, just enthusiasm for the subject.

Please note that day 1 of the course will be held in our Gallery which is upstairs with no lift. Apologies if this causes any inconvenience.

Some feedback from previous course participants:

“Friendly, entertaining, concise and inclusive”

“The practical sessions in the garden were very useful – no substitute for seeing plants in real life”

“Thoroughly enjoyed- opened many new avenues of interest”

About Maria Vlotides:

Maria Vlotides has been teaching at The Chelsea Physic Garden since 2013. She began The Apothecary’s Daughter after completing a degree in Herbal Medicine at the University of Westminster in 2007. Having initially read PPE at Oxford University during the dark ages, she found herself hanging out with increasing regularity at the University’s Botanical Garden, fascinated by plant beds and the magic held within leaves and buds. She had a clinical practice until 2016 and has since continued to focus on teaching and writing. Her book Pharmapoetica in collaboration with poet and author Chris McCabe was nominated for the Ted Hughes Award in 2013.

www.the-apothecarys-daughter.com

About Letta Jones:

Letta is a Lecturer in Horticulture and the History of Gardens. She taught at Capel Manor and Birkbeck Colleges for 15 years and her courses are now offered at the City Lit, Glenthorne Centre, Woodbrook College and Knuston Hall. She has been a Lecturer at the Chelsea Physic Garden for 6 years, having been a volunteer gardener and guide there for 18 years. Her overseas Garden Study tours are open to all, with a trip to Holland with Dr Mark Spencer as co-leader being planned for 2023. If interested in the tours please register your interest with