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The Physic Garden at the Palace of Holyroodhouse Garden
The Return of the Holyrood Physic Garden Sutherland Forsyth 2020 marks 350 years since Robert Sibbald and Andrew Balfour established a Physic Garden beside the Palace of Holyroodhouse, eventually giving rise to the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. This autumn sees the opening of a new incarnation of that original Palace garden. The new Physic Garden takes its inspiration from several historic gardens at the Palace and is located, on what was an open grassed area behind the Abbey Strand buildings, by Queen Mary’s bathhouse. There is no entry fee, with the public able to wander among three different areas. The first is inspired by the original 17th century Physic Garden, with raised beds containing
culinary herbs, native Scottish plants, varieties featured in the Hortus Medicus Edinburgensis of 1683, and more. With over 20 beds, planters, yew hedges and benches, this space is an accessible haven in a busy city. The second area is located on what was once part of the old 16th century Privy Garden. Indeed, visitors can even see the remains of the old Privy Garden wall running up the middle of the new garden. Instead of the intricate parterre hedges, however, the same patterns have been recreated with bulbs and long grasses, providing winding paths to walk through. Lastly, a medicinal meadow with a path running through its centre is inspired by the wilder monastic gardens once tended by the canons of Holyrood Abbey, where medicinal herbs were grown for use in healing.
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