A green space

PETERSHAM NURSERIES, CHURCH LANE, TW10

ONLY a short stroll along the river from Richmond, but a world away from the city rush, lie the flower-filled greenhouses of Petersham Nurseries. Beautiful at any time of year, they’re particularly magical at Christmas, when garlands of fairy lights twist around the foliage, steam condenses on the tea-house windows and branches of pussy willow, pots of paperwhites and urns of scarlet and goldpainted leaves sparkle in the light. Time your visit to suit your mood: the cold, clear light and blue skies of a sunny morning make anything feel possible, and a heavy frost, which can sometimes last all day here, turns the focus inward, intensifying scent and sound and frosting each leaf and petal with crystals of ice. Natasha Goodfellow is the author of ‘A London Floral’ and her next guide, ‘A Cotswold Garden Companion’, will be published in March 2022 (www.finch publishing.co.uk)