Disclaimer: I like plants and gardening…read more So I was standing on the eastbound platform at the Hampstead Overground rail station, and felt an urge to walk along to the far end. I can't say why, I just wanted to, and so I did. And then I saw that there's a small garden. I thought, "that's cool!" Then I saw a sign outside that reads, "water me!" I was thinking to myself, "what?" I kept looking at the garden some more, and saw another sign, and it read, "feel free to pick our produce." Again, I thought, "what?" There was yet another sign, reading "Energy Garden." It's not explained at all but it made sense: you give your energy to this garden, and then you get something back. I found a door, more like a sliding gate-type thing, on the side of the platform. Wondered, "is this open? I'll try." Pulling the lock, it opened, so I went in and started looking around. It's just a tiny garden, but with some nice looking plants growing in raised beds and boxes. Some of the plants looked a bit sadder, so I walked over to prop them up, push the soil down, and remove some rocks. Then I noticed a watering can, and that the soil in a few of the boxes looked dry. So I gave some of the plants a little water. I found a big rain barrel collecting water and refilled the watering can from it. As I worked, I found a beautiful red potato lying in the soil near its parent plant. "Ooh," I thought, grabbing it and putting it in my backpack. Near some herbs, "ooh!" I thought again, seeing that nobody had been tending the basil. I severed the top leaves and put them in my backpack too (this forces the plant to branch at the pinch site, encouraging lateral growth). "Ooh" again--mint was growing thickly in one box so I plucked out a stem by the roots to take home and grow in water on my windowsill (where it's thriving now). After tending to another few plants, my train arrived, I boarded, and rode away. What a magical little find.

This is a great city run course for kids to learn tennis…read more Held in Tower Hamlets community open courts in Bethnal Green Gardens and Mile End Stadium. Apparently concern over the lack of tennis stars coming thru Wimbledon that are British (think Tim Henman or better yet don't !!) has provoked a course of funded tennis classes to be set up for kids in Tower Hamlets. Targeting children from ages 5-16 years old - hour long classes are available for £1.00/£2.00 - 3 times a week. Check schedule for specific age group coaching. My son goes on Thursdays and since it is outside courts -- classes have often been very rainy! However in true British fashion the classes are rarely cancelled and head coach Jaime has a pretty big weekly groups. He shows up with his kit including 30 kids tennis rackets, balls and assistant. The program has only been running for a year and have already had close to 3000 kids received some coaching. Expectations are high - watch out Wimbledon 2020!

The tennis courts are great, but other than that, it's really not a lot of green for gardens. I was…read moreexpected a tiny parks of some sort, but it's not escape here, still view of the road, and just not somewhere to sit and chill. Less complaint now that it's been edited to say that it's just tennis, and not somewhere picnic suitable! Oops!

Gayle and I took a long walk from our Hilton Paddington Hotel to Holland Park, specifically to see…read moreand enjoy their Japanese (Kyoto) Garden. We were not disappointed. It's a sizable park and feels more like being in a jungle vs. the more manicured London green spaces like Kensington Gardens or Hyde Park. So after our visit to the Japanese Garden, we enjoyed just wandering around and kind of getting lost. We also appreciated the peace and quiet that comes with the relative lack of crowds.

I don't know what to say that hasn't already been said. This picturesque park made my family from…read morethe US feel like we lived in London. There is so much to do, plenty of walking trails and gardens, and somehow it's not a tourist trap in any way. We stumbled upon this park, but in hindsight it should've been a prime destination. It didn't hurt that the weather was absolutely perfect. Oh yeah, and there are sizable playgrounds for kids, some for toddlers and smaller kiddos, and an adventure park for older kids. This park has been one of the highlights of our visit to the UK.

The park has been around since the 1500s and is nearly 350 acres. I've visited a couple of times…read morebut don't think I'll ever be able to cover it all. Artwork throughout the park as well as memorials. On our first visit we saw war memorials. There's one for Princess Di as well. You can swim in the lake (I've not done that...yet). Another green space offering serenity from the hustle and bustle of a big city.

On our last full day in London, we spent the day at Hyde Park, one of London's most famous public…read moreparks. We purchased sandwiches at Harrods Food Hall, and ate our lunch in the park (we also purchased some beer and wine at a cafe in the park). It was a beautiful spring day, not too hot, not too cold -- just perfect. While we didn't see the entire park (at 350 acres, that would be impossible), we had a great day -- Hyde Park was one of the highlights of my time in London. We spent the majority of our time in Hyde Park watching the birds at the waterfront. I'm not a bird expert, but I saw at least nine different kinds of birds: swans, geese, Canadian Geese, ducks, seagulls, herons, pigeons, starlings, and crows. And further in the park, we saw parakeets. The diversity was amazing! If you're in London, Hyde Park is a MUST MUST MUST SEE! It also makes for an inexpensive day. Other things to note: you must pay to use the toilet, but it's only 20p. However, you can't pay by cash, only by credit card (which was fine by me, as I hate cash), and unlike Amsterdam, which charged €1, the washroom was CLEAN (there was an attendant). While I'm not a fan of paying to use the washroom, at least it was cheap (unlike Amsterdam), clean (unlike in my city or Amsterdam), and hassle free (unlike Amsterdam). [Yelp collections: Europe 2024; London, England; Parks and Gardens]

Woah! This park has it all! Also known as St Mark's Park…read more(after the street on which is located) Kensington memorial is brilliant and the perfect place for kids and adult to go crazy. This park has been recently refurbished and I am very happy because its like 10 mins away from mine. It is wheelchair accessible, has a adventure playground with colourful apparatus+ sand box, a larger play area for older children with space rockets climbing frames etc and a large water park that is an absolute blessing on these hot, hot day! And the best part?! It is all free!! There is also a small shop(open during the summer months) that sells hot/cold snacks and chairs and tables you can eat at. Lots of toilets, grass, shade etc. It also includes tennis courts, football, junior cricket classes and One O'clock club which is managed by Family and Children's Services. The park was opened in 1926 in memoriam to those who fell in the Great War.

This place is amazing. Truly amazing…read more While visiting South Kensington for a family vacation, our football-obsessed son was craving a spot to stretch his legs and kick a soccer ball around. It's surprisingly difficult to find a place to do that. There's plenty of neighborhood green areas in Kensington but those don't allow ball play. There's also large lawn areas but those don't have goals. After a ton of random searching, I came across this spot and thought I'd chance it. This place checks all the boxes. Astro turf. Free Not crowded Food/coffee nearby (via the local church) 100% win

Tucked away just off the King's Road next to the church where Charles Dickens said his "I do"s, is…read moreSt. Luke's Gardens. Popular with locals at lunchtime, yoga practitioners throughout the day, mums & nannies taking little ones for walks, and plenty of friendly pigeons, it's a lovely little spot. I've wandered here a few times over the past few years, but recently found solace under a tree on a dry bench as a flash rain shower soaked everything and everyone around me. I got about 3 drops on me - which was pretty cool. It's nice to know there's a little haven amongst the local hustle and bustle to escape to. I'm a big fan of church yards in general and while I do find it weird that the old gravestones have mostly been removed and lined up around the fence wall by the church, it's still a beautiful & relaxing spot to enjoy.

Home Park is the name given to the area of Hampton Court Palace park which is open to the public…read more It is a large expanse of parkland (over 550 acres) and a perfect place to get some exercise and fresh air, and escape the urban bustle of west London. I've always found it surprisingly quiet - less busy than adjacent Bushy Park or Richmond Park. It is easily accessible from either Kingston-upon-Thames (a 10 minute walk) or Hampton Court railways stations (5 minutes). The area has been a royal hunting ground for centuries, but it was Henry VIII who enclosed the area to form the park as it is now. In 1639 Charles I created the Longford river to bring water to the park, and in 1661 Charles II created the main feature, the "Long Water", effectively a wide ornamental canal, over half a mile long, flanked with a double row of trees on each bank. It was in the park that William III had his riding accident in 1702 (when his horse stumbled on a molehill) from which he died shortly afterwards. The park was opened to the public in 1893 and the golf course opened in 1895. The area south of the Long Water is mostly occupied by the golf course: the park is otherwise a mixture of small wooded areas, ponds and small lakes, and uncut acid grassland; this grassland is home to a wide variety of insects and attracts many different bird species as well as colonies of bats. The park also contains 7,000 trees (including a nationally important concentration of mistletoe, growing on lime trees) and a herd of 300 fallow deer. It is therefore protected as a Site of Special Scientific Interest. Access is through various gates: the closest to Hampton Court is a 5-minute walk along the river bank from the end of Hampton Court Palace bridge. There are also gates along Hampton Court Road and close to Kingston Bridge. There are paths for walkers and cyclists: vehicles are only permitted for those members driving to the golf course. if you are walking in winter, the paths can get very muddy, so waterproof walking boots are advisable. Visitors are advised to stay at least 50 metres from the deer, and to keep dogs on leash when in their vicinity (it is an offence to let dogs approach or chase the deer, and the park noticeboards record a number of prosecutions of dog owners for this, as a warning). Fishing in the ponds and Long Water is strictly by permit only. The park is closed at sundown - closing times are posted on gates, and also on the park website.