Science and creativity: the root of knowledge

Hidden away in a quiet part of London SW3, on the edge of the river Thames, is the Chelsea Physic Garden. London’s oldest botanic garden, it was set up in 1673 by apothecaries to grow medicinal plants and to teach apprentice apothecaries about the plants’ uses. The garden has an important role in the history of medicine, evident in the living collection of around 5000 different …