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The Great Garden’s Plant Collection

The Inner Temple Garden is a plantsperson’s delight. The ‘City’ microclimate provides the conditions for layered plantings containing many unusual and special plants for all seasons.

The famous Borders shine from late spring till the end of the year with an exuberant and experimental tapestry. The tapestry mixes woody specimens, perennials, bulbs and annuals. These include dramatic gems such as the Chinese Rice Paper Plant (Tetrapanax papyrifer ‘Rex’), Dahlias (including Tree Dahlia Dahlia imperialis), and Giant Fennels (Ferula communis) weaved with ornamental grasses, salvias, geraniums and self-seeders providing spontaneity. All carefully designed to provide a long season and nectar to the City’s local beehives.

The Borders sit alongside more natural areas of spring bulb meadow containing China Shrub Roses and large expanses of lawn. The Peony Garden provides a more intimate area to take a moment, surrounded by a Wisteria sinensis dating to 1848 with a lower layer of herbaceous and tree Peonies for late Spring.

The Borders to the east and west contain a calming woodland edge mix of perennials, choice Hydrangeas and unusual specimens such as the rare Chinese Fairy Bells (Disporum longistylum ‘Green Giant’). The Garden team also add creative planters and pot displays in locations across the Garden.

The canopy tree layer consists of many historic specimens alongside new introductions. The London Planes (Platanus x hispanica) are some of London’s finest with the three specimens in the lawn dating to the early 1770s. There are also striking forms of Manchurian Walnut (Juglans mandshurica) and Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides).  In addition to younger species for interesting bark such as Snake-bark Maples (Acer x conspicuum ‘Phoenix’) alongside specimens that enjoy the warm microclimate such as Catalina Ironwood (Lyonothamnus floribundus var. asplenifolius) and Pacific Madrone (Arbutus menziesii).