The gardens at Historic London Town and Gardens originated in the early 1970s using as a model one of the most beautiful gardens in Great Britain, Windsor Great Park. As a consequence, the Woodland Garden and the Ornamental Gardens are comprised of the plants people found most exciting then, namely; azaleas, rhododendrons, magnolias camellias, cherries, hollies and peonies. Most of these plants are not native to Maryland, but many have proven well adapted to the soils and climate of this part of the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

Today, many gardeners, naturalists and environmentalists have a different view of what gardens can and should do. They believe that native plants are more suited to our climate because they have been here for so long and have evolved to adapt to local conditions. Insects and other forms of animal life have in turn evolved with these plants. And while a return to the pristine conditions of pre-colonial times is not possible, we can, as gardeners, strive to make the environments around our homes as natural and beneficial as possible. Using native plants, making rain gardens, collecting rainwater and preventing polluted run-off, as well as devising new ways to integrate living plants into our man-made world — these are all goals we can strive to achieve.

The Environmental Gardens at London Town, while still in the initial stages of development, are an attempt to create designed spaces in keeping with principles of sound environmental practices. All the new plantings on the berm around the Visitor Center are new cultivars of native species, attracting native pollinators, birds and butterflies. The two bio-retention cells to the north and west of the Visitor Center collect rainwater, and allow for the slow infiltration of water back into the soil, preventing run off that could harm the South River and ultimately the Bay. Most ambitious of all, is the work to be completed in the spring of 2009, to create a stormwater management system consisting of three new raingardens and a renovated pond at the lowest point of the park. We also have plans to create a combination intensive/extensive green roof upon the exhibit space of the Visitor Center.

As these gardens grow and flourish, we hope they will demonstrate the beauty that is possible when we plant with a view to the environmental impact of our landscapes.