Back in mid April (how time flies…) I went to England to see the glorious woodland bluebells and a sample of the stunning gardens that dot the fair isle. The first few days I spent in London in the up and coming area of Southwark. As I wandered the streets, I noticed the sheer number of green spaces crammed in tiny corners, small garden areas, front plots, roofs and balconies. The weather was sublime and cherry trees were exploding with blossoms.
I turned a corner one morning and came across a small example of trying to better the city climate…a rain garden someone had constructed. Even tiny gardens like this inspire the local community and educate on the importance of nature even in the city.
Vertical gardens utilize an often overlooked space for greenscapes. Here modern condos and traditional apartments jostle together but residents of both bring nature to their homes.
London is famous for its rowhouses with tiny but immaculate front gardens and the Southwark area is no exception:
Palms and wisteria…if only we could do that in chilly Ontario…
Even Londoners spoiled for plant choices long for a bit of the tropics.
Next time, public greenspaces in the urban landscape of London.
Happy gardening 🙂
Garden Graces 
Are dracaenas (or Cordyline) known as palms in London, or is that just short for ‘dracaena palm’? The second pair actually look like Yucca recurvifolia, although they are like just another cultivar of dracaena. The palm in the last picture is actually from a harsh climate, not the tropics. It does well in Seattle and Oklahoma.
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Wisteria does seem to grow so well in Britain, but it does need such a strong support which is one reason I don’t grow it myself. It looks gorgeous in your photos though, as do the blossoms. There’s a lot to be said for living in a milder climate.
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