It is situated to the rear (west) of Buckingham Palace, occupying a 17-hectare (42-acre) site in the City of Westminster and forms the largest private garden in London.

It is bounded by Constitution Hill to the north, Hyde Park Corner to the west, Grosvenor Place to the south-west, and the Royal Mews, King's Gallery, and Buckingham Palace itself to the south and east.

The royal connection to the site of the garden dates from 1609 when James I purchased four acres of land "near to his palace of Westminster for the planting of mulberry trees".

Similar attention was paid to the landscape, where Buckingham engaged Henry Wise to lay out an elaborate garden in the French style, with parterres and a central canal.

There is also a summerhouse attributed to William Kent, a helicopter landing pad on the great lawn below the West Terrace, and a tennis court.

However, when the palace is open during August and September, visitors have access to part of the garden, which forms the exit, via a gift shop in a marquee, at the end of the tour.

[15][16] Nominations for invitations to the garden parties are made by the Lord-lieutenants,[b] government departments, the armed forces, the Diplomatic corps and a range of charities and societies.

The nominations, which are intended to acknowledge public service, are approved by the Lord Chamberlain, who then issues the invitations in the name of the king.

[c] Just prior to 4.00 p.m. the king and accompanying members of the Royal Family emerge from the Bow Room in the palace,[19] as a band plays the National Anthem.

[19] The garden, the largest in London, covers 17 hectares (42 acres) and contains over 1,000 trees, 325 specimens of wild plants and 35 different species of birds.

The whole is surrounded by a wall and, internally, by a gravel path which runs around the garden's perimeter, with branches diverting around the lawns, lake and island flowerbeds.

[24] There are a large number of commemorative trees, planted to celebrate royal occasions, which continues a tradition begun by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.

Among the most notable is the Waterloo Vase, a great urn commissioned by Napoleon to commemorate his expected victories, which in 1815 was presented unfinished to the Prince Regent.

After the King had had the base completed by sculptor Richard Westmacott, intending it to be the focal point of the new Waterloo chamber at Windsor Castle, it was adjudged to be too heavy for any floor (at 15 ft (4.6 m) high and weighing 15 tons).

[28] Peter Coats, in his study of 1978, The Gardens of Buckingham Palace, notes stylistic similarities to the work of William Kent.

[23] The garden contains a number of examples of another type of artificial stonework, Pulhamite, including two bridges to the islands in the lake and a large rockery.

[36] Simon Bradley, in the 2003 revised edition of the Pevsner Buildings of England, London 6: Westminster, describes the garden at Buckingham Palace as "beautiful", noting particularly the "irregular lake and artful Picturesque planting".

[38][39] Structures on the perimeter of the garden which are also listed at Grade I include the surrounding boundary wall;[40] the garden entrance screen to the front right of the palace,[41] the screen to the Ambassadors' Court to the left[42] and the main entrance to the Ambassadors' Court on Buckingham Palace Road;[43] the wall enclosing the royal riding school,[44] and the riding school itself;[45] the Royal Mews;[46] and two flanking lodges.