The Fleet Street Quarter is proud to launch ‘The Herbalist’s Press: A Garden by Fleet Street Quarter’ at Holborn Circus. Created by Wayward Plants in partnership with London Festival of Architecture, the brand new urban installation is inspired by English Herbalist and author John Gerard. The herbalist garden celebrates his horticultural ties to the area whilst paying tribute to the rich printing history that makes Fleet Street one of the most famous roads in London.
The design takes inspiration from the 15th and 16th century printing presses that found their home throughout Fleet Street, Holborn and the Old Bailey. Each installation is placed within frames that resemble the machinery and mechanics of the original printing presses and they are bedded with the herbal, floral and medicinal plants found in John Gerard’s original Herball –‘Generall Historie of Plante’. John Gerard was an influential 17th Century English herbalist and is best known for authoring and printing the UK’s first Herbal in 1597 in Fleet Street Quarter.
The Herbalist’s Press, a garden by Fleet Street Quarter, will be in situ until the end of August. Hedge and flower performers will be on site to help welcome people to the area and will be giving away free herb and wildflower seeds so that visitors can take the beauty of English horticulture home with them.
Fleet Street Quarter will also host a series of supporting outdoor art workshops during lunchtime on 22nd and 29th June and 6th and 13th July, alongside a series of talks hosted locally – keep an eye on our social channels for further information!
