For decades, Petersham Nurseries existed as a storybook oasis on the outskirts of London. To those who live in the UK and are able to travel safely, we recommend getting to the nurseries this summer to feast your eyes on the rich flowers and plant life, and feast your stomach on the café's equally sumptuous food.
To those who can't experience the nurseries in person, we recommend doing the next best thing and picking up a copy of the new Petersham Nurseries book.
Available from 20 May, this 432-page tome tells the entire story of Petersham, from its beginnings as a small plant nursery behind a family home to its current, lauded status as an exuberant emporium of flowers, plants, fine food, and enchanting curios.
The entrance of Petersham Nurseries' Michelin-star café
This history is told by Petersham’s founders, Francesco and Gael Boglione, a traveller and model respectively before their entrepreneurial adventure, as well as their four children, through personal anecdotes and archive imagery.
Those stories of Petersham’s past are interwoven with seasonal recipes from the location’s Michelin-star café. These include everything from plant-based starters such as artichokes alla Romana with basil and mint, to hearty mains like ravioli with ricotta di bufala and young nettles, and sweet desserts such as strawberry sorbet, meringue, and rose syrup.
Zucchini fritti is one of the many recipes included in the book
The book also includes expert tips for styling plants and flowers in the home, as well as more than a hundred pages of colourful images of the property’s exceptional gardens.
Bursting with flowery and foodie glory, Petersham Nurseries makes it possible to visit a 21st-century version of Babylon’s Hanging Gardens without even leaving your living room.
Interiors of Petersham Nurseries Café
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