London never ceases to amaze me. In a city full of commons and woodlands, it’s no surprise that there are also massive indoor greenhouses. In the heart of the city, you’ll find one of London’s most beautiful hidden gems, the Barbican Conservatory. This gigantic plant house is home to more than 1500 species of tropical trees, plants, birdlife, and a pond full of koi, ghost, and grass carp.
The Conservatory is open on various select days each week starting at 12pm and typically closing at 19:30pm. Tickets are available by logging onto their website, at least, one week in advance with a limited number of tickets released daily for the upcoming week.
Barbican Conservatory
The Barbican Conservatory was originally designed to hide the Barbican’s fly tower for the theatre below. However, it’s been said that at some point someone stuck a few plants in the windows of the conservatory and before people knew it, the collection of plants grew into what is now a massive greenhouse of over 1500 species of greenery from the bush lands of South Africa to the coastline of Brazil.
Surprisingly, the Barbican Conservatory is the second largest conservatory in London. The largest being The Princess of Wales Conservatory in Kew Gardens. Nevertheless, there are a plethora of exotica plants, tree ferns, cacti, and succulents.
As if the conservatory couldn’t be more magical, currently floating above the endless greenery is an art installation called the Akari Cloud. The magical cloud of lights was sculpted by Isamu Noguchi – a Japanese-American artist and landscape architect. The installation is a celebration of the sculptor’s visionary, sculptural, and civic landscapes plus it also happens to coincide with the Barbican’s exhibit dedicated to the artist, which is on display in their Art Gallery until January 23, 2022.
Tropical Garden
I’m not sure who was more enamored by the conservatory, me or my wife. Caring for our plants and learning more about gardening has been extremely therapeutic for me, so I couldn’t help but get lost in the tropical paradise.
The Barbican recommends that you allow 20 minutes for your visit. However, if you’re plant lovers like we are then I highly recommend you give yourself a full hour.
Apart from general public access, the conservatory also welcomes private events, parties, weddings, and other various events. Their tropical garden offers a unique setting for all occasions.
Check out their website to learn more about their rates and special packages.
PS: Looking to discover more secret gardens in London? Take a look at my previous post about Kensington’s Holland Park.
What do you think?