What is the Physic Garden?

The Physic Garden Project is an organic medicinal herb garden on a gentle south-facing slope in the heart of Stanmer Park. It’s a wonderful environment to learn about plant medicines, both wild and cultivated.

Here you can take part in workshops on herbal medicine, join walks to forage for wild medicinal plants, or sign up for educational talks, tours of the garden, or outdoor education days for the children. You can also volunteer to help in the garden, learning more about medicinal plants and the local plant- and wildlife through the seasons.

How is the Physic Garden supporting nature and sustainable practices in the biosphere?

Connecting people and nature

The Physic Garden provides a gentle, inclusive outdoor space for everyone. It connects people directly to the health benefits of plants and the mental and physical benefits of gardening and foraging. It is also the hub for a community of local volunteers to spend time immersed in the quiet beauty of the South Downs.

Supporting biodiversity

The project’s organic approach to growing is based on encouraging biodiversity and embracing the unique growing environment of the chalky coastal downland. It’s generating an organic seed bank from the medicinal herbs grown on site, and their practices aim to safeguard precious habitat for local wildlife, while teaching others about it too.