UK's largest Edible Open Gardens Day offers glimpse of city's 'food-farms'

Around 50 of London’s community food-growing gardens will be throwing open their gates to the public in September, resulting in the largest opening of food growing spaces on a single day for any one city in the UK. 

On Saturday, 3 September 2011, the gardens are inviting Londoners to explore their neighbourhood growing spaces. The spaces are all members of the Capital Growth campaign to support 2012 community food-growing spaces by the end of 2012. Many are putting on activities such as garden tours, talks, and games, as well as selling garden produce, homemade food and barbeques. 
 
A number of East End housing estates with vibrant food-growing spaces will also be part of a guided walking tour on the day, plus there are details of cycle routes available so people can hop on a bike to experience the incredible variety of spaces on show across the city.
 
Capital Growth was launched in 2008 by the Mayor of London and Rosie Boycott, the chair of London Food, to offer practical and some financial support to boost ‘grow your own ‘in the capital. The Mayor announced recently that there are more than 1050 spaces up and running involving 35,000 green fingered volunteers.
 
Rosie Boycott, chair of London Food, said: ‘It’s fantastic that so many Capital Growth spaces will be opened up to inspire others and encourage more people to try their hand at growing their own food.   There is now a huge variety of plots across the capital being cultivated by London’s urban farmers, proving what communities can achieve when they come together to transform unused or derelict green spaces.   Edible Open Gardens is a great way of showing people that if you want to grow your own, there are alternatives to joining huge waiting lists for sought after allotments.’
 
Ida Fabrizio from Capital Growth explained: ‘There is an incredible range of projects in our network and this day gives people a chance to sample a great selection, including an edible roof garden on top of a Budgens supermarket in Crouch End, and a floating garden on a barge in Islington. These show how unused spaces across the Capital have been transformed by community groups.’
 
Other sites that will be open include Cultivate London who transformed areas of derelict land into productive spaces, generating both training opportunities and jobs for unemployed young people. Mind in Haringey will also be open to showcase how they have changed an overgrown strip of land into a thriving community allotment, supporting their members as part of their recovering from mental health problems.
 
This year has also seen the launch of a bee campaign, which promotes urban beekeeping across London, as part of Capital Growth. Many sites, such as the Secret Orchard in Lewisham and North Brick Lane Gardeners in Tower Hamlets, now have bee hives and will be selling their excellent urban honey at their open days.   
 
Dreams of Eden, a community food-growing space set up in a disused back garden, took part in last year’s Edible Gardens Open Day. They commented:  "The open day was a great success and generated so much interest, we had over 70 people stretch our little garden to bursting point! Games and music meant there was never a dull moment and the space itself seemed to capture peoples’ imaginations. We gained more volunteers and contacts than we could have hoped for, while others were inspired to strike out and set up their own projects."
 
 
ENDS
 
 
For further information go to https://www.capitalgrowth.org/opengardens/ or contact Sarah Williams on 0203 5596 777 /  sarah@sustainweb.org
 
 Notes for Editors
 
1. Boroughs which have participating spaces include: Camden, City of London, Ealing, Greenwich, Hackney, Hammersmith & Fulham, Haringey, Islington, Kensington & Chelsea, Kingston, Lewisham, Merton, Newham, Southwark, Sutton, Tower Hamlets and Wandsworth.
 
 2. About Capital Growth:
 
Capital Growth is a partnership initiative between London Food Link, the Mayor of London Boris Johnson, and the Big Lottery's Local Food Fund. It is championed by the Chair of the London Food Board Rosie Boycott and aims to create 2012 new community food growing spaces across London by the end of 2012.  Capital Growth offers practical help, grants training and support to groups wanting to establish community food growing projects as well as well as advice to landowners.
 
It is funded by the Mayor of London and by the Big Lottery's Local Food Fund.
 
 
3. About London Food Link
 
London Food Link (http://www.londonfoodlink.org/)  runs a network of organisations and individuals promoting a more sustainable food system for the capital. Network members are as diverse as farmers and food writers, caterers and community food projects. London Food Link is part of Sustain, the alliance for better food and farming. www.sustainweb.org and runs Capital Growth
 

4. List of participating spaces 
 
CAMDEN
• King's Cross Skip Garden Space # 117, The mobile skip garden has shown its mettle by moving to a new location up the road, on the King’s Cross development site at the intersection of York Way and Wharf Road N1. Open 11-4.
• St. Joan's Garden Group Space # 963. St Joan's Estate, Phoenix Road, Somers Town NW1 1SY. Open 11-4.
Goldington Community Kitchen Garden Space # 672, Corner of Chenies Place and Goldington Street, NW1 1UG. Open 11-4.
HARINGEY
• MIND in Haringey Allotment and Gardening Project Space # 759, Station House, 73C Stapleton Hall Road N4 3QF. Celebrating 20 years of advocacy service and launch of new projects with food provided by Foodcycle, entertainment from Younger Minds project and a range of complimentary therapies available to try out. Open 11-4.
• Green Routes (Met. Support Trust) Space # 624, Manor House Gate, Finsbury Park, Green Lanes, N4 2NQ. Take exit 6 Manor House Tube. Turn Right out of station, then immediate right into Park. Bear right on Park path for 200m. Workshops on fruit tree grafting, urban food growing, propagation, and lots more. Open 11-4.
• Food from the Sky Space # 269, Roof of Thorntons Budgens, 21-23 the Broadway, Crouch End, N8 8DU. Access from Crouch Hall Road, off Crouch End Broadway. Tour and story of the garden, nature trail and treasure hunt, seed games and how to collect seeds. Open 11-4.
 ISLINGTON
• Caledonian Park Community Orchard Space # 261, Market Road, Islington, N7 9PL. Turn right on leaving Caledonian Road station and take the first right onto Market Road. Light refreshments and apple activities. Open 11-4.
• Girdlestone Estate  Space # 415, Centre of Girdlestone Estate, above Girdlestone Park, N19 5DR. A fenced triangle surrounded by trees and shrubs above the Park, between Bredgar Road, Dartmouth Park Hill, Magdala Avenue and Highgate Hill. Light refreshments from 11:30am, plus announcement of the winners of the Best Sunflower competition for children; prizes to be awarded by a special guest. Open 11-1.
HACKNEY
• Wenlock Herb Garden Space # 95, Britannia Walk, off Murray Grove N1 7PQ. Open 11-4.
• Floating Allotment Space # 348, CHUG, Cleopatra, Kingsland Basin, N1 5BB. Garden produce, cakes, duck eggs on sale plus a competition to test garden knowledge with the chance to win prizes. Open 11-4.
• Evering Road Kitchen Space # 990, St Paul's Church West Hackney, Stoke Newington Rd, N16 7UY. Tea, cake and music. Open 11-4.
• FARM:shop Space # 599, 20 Dalston Lane, E8 3AZ. Café open all day serving food and drink, free tap water, toilets, handicap accessible. Open 11-5.
• Cordwainer Gardens Space # 620, 182 Mare Street, E8 3RE. Follow the building around to the right as you enter of Mare Street. Cakes, books and produce for sale, plus a jumble sale. Open 11-4.
• Dalston Eastern Curve Garden Space # 638, 13 Dalston Lane, E8 3DF. Entrance next to the Hackney Peace Carnival Mural, opposite the new Dalston CLR. The clay oven lit from 1pm for people to bring food to cook or to join in making pizzas. Open 11-6.
• Somerford Grove Estate Space Community Hall, Community Fun Day. Junction of Somerford Grove and Shacklewell Road, N16 7TW. They will be celebrating their yields with a cooking workshop for young people and a free barbeque for residents as well as a tug of war, outdoor games and a live DJ. There will also be a stall selling surplus seeds and plants. It will be run by Growing Club members to fund the community growing project.Open 11-3.
TOWER HAMLETS
• Winterton House Organic Gardens Space # 553, Winterton House, Deancross St, E1 2QR, 5 minutes from Shadwell DLR and Overground. 15 mins from Whitechapel tube. Light refreshments will be available, other activities TBA. Open 11-4.
• Rocky Park Urban Growers Space # 592. Rocky Park Community Garden, Ellsworth Street, Bethnal Green E2 0AX. Tour of multiple spaces ending at the community centre in Keddleston Walk where refreshments will be served. Open 11-4.
• Strawberry Fields Urban Orchard Space # 680, Gainford House, Ellsworth Street E2 0AS. Open 11-4.
• James Middleton Urban Growers Space # 992, Clarkson Street, E2 0BA. Open 11-4.
• Cranbrook Community Food Garden Space # 68, Mace Street, Bethnal Green E2 0RA. Bethnal Green tube, walk East on Roman Rd, on left. Organic plants, veg and herbs as well as hot and cold food for sale, made from items we have grown in the garden. Open 11-4.
• The North Brick Lane Gardeners Space # 673, Shacklewell Street, E2 7EG. Street is just off Brick Lane slightly north of where it intersects with Bethnal Green Road. Local produce and Honey for sale. Open 11-3
• Canal Club Gardening Club Space # 589, Belmont Wharf, Waterloo Garden, E2 9HP. Corner of Waterloo Gardens and Sewardstone Road next to The Canal Club Community Centre and the Regents canal. BBQ 1pm. Seed and produce swapping, art, chutneys and harvested goods from the garden for sale. Open 11-4.
• Malmesbury Allotments Space # 981, Trellis Square, Poplar, E3 2DR. The allotments are within Trellis square, at the end of Harley Grove which in turn is off Bow Road. Open 12-5.
• Approach Gardens Space # 603, Old ford road and Russia Lane, E2 9LR. There is a children’s play area down Old Rd Road facing St John’s School and the food growing area is more north, alongside Russia Lane. Open 11-4.
• Greening Brownfield Space # 334, Andrew Street, off 88 St. Leonard's Road, Poplar, E14 0SW. Old tennis court near Carradale House. BBQ and activities TBA. Open 11-4.
 
NEWHAM
•  GreEn16 Space # 523, 265-270 Victoria Dock Road, Custom House, Canning Town E16 1. From Custom House DLR station, walk up Freemasons Road, go to the rear of the shops on your left hand side, entrance from Normandy Terrace space on left. Annual harvest celebration between 4pm and 7pm and a BBQ is planned with fcontributions from local residents. Open 2-7.
• Dirty Hands Project Space # 22, Valetta Grove, Plaistow, E13 0JR. Nearest tube is Plaistow on district line. Go over pedestrian crossing outside station, go down stairs in front of you, turn left at the bottom, and Dirty Hands is on the left hand side in the caged area. Teas and cakes will be provided for visitors on the day. Open 11-4.
CITY OF LONDON
• Edible Golden Lane Space # 358, Golden Lane Estate, Golden Lane, EC1Y 0TN, Barbican Tube, North on Goswell Road to Golden Lane Estate at Fann Street. Open 2-4. 
SOUTHWARK
• Walpole Garden Angels Space # 840, Walpole Estate Management Association, Wallpole Place, Brookhill Road, Woolwich, SE18 6TR. BBQ, seed swap, and other activities to encourage sharing talent and ideas for food growing. Open 11-4.
• Barnfield Food Gardens ‘Buds of Barnfield’ Space # 617, Adjacent to 105-109 Barfield Gardens, Barnfield Road, SE18. From Plumstead Common Road, turn onto Barnfield Road. Take the first left then the first right. Open 12-4.
• DIY Allotment Space # 191, Café Gallery, Southwark Park SE16 2UA. Share harvested food, mint tea and enjoy the allotment and children’s shadow puppet movies. Also Pimm's and mugs of tea for visitors! Open 12-4.
• Kennington Park Keeper’s Lodge, St Agnes Place, SE11 4AS . Site devoted to bee and bee food. Ice cream, pottery and refreshment will be available. Hive inspections weather permitting!

KINGSTON
• Surbiton YMCA Space #1015, St James House, 9 -15 St James Road, Surbiton, Surrey KT5 9QP. BBQ and special talks. Open 11-4.
• Kingston Orchard Project Space #726, Knollmead Allotments, Tolworth KT5 9QP. Follow the signs from Sunray Community Centre. BBQ and special talks. Open 11-4.
 
LAMBETH
• Plant-ing Space # 386, Latch House, 112-114 Clapham Road, SW9 0JU. Open 11-4.
LEWISHAM
• Lee Green Community Garden Space # 645, Rear of 94 Burnt Ash Road SE12 8PY.  The garden gate is on Micheldever Road, closest mainline train stations Lee or Hither Green.  Open 11-4.
• Grow Mayow Space # 141, Mayow Park, Mayow Road, SE26 4JA. Sydenham Station, 5 minutes walk through park. Open 10-4.
• The Secret Orchard Space # 720, Behind Café Crema, 306 New Cross Road, SE14 6AF. Café open serving vegetarian home cooked meals and chance to tour their new wildlife garden and orchard. Local honey for sale.  Open 11-4.
MERTON
• Christ Church Community Garden Space # 750, 16 Copse Hill, Wimbledon, SW20 0NA. On the left side of the Community Hall, accessible at the top of Cottenham Park Road. Cakes, jams, chutneys and surplus produce, herb plants for sale. Plus food growing activities, music, and BBQ. Open 11-4.
SUTTON
• Sutton Community Farm Space # 340, Telegraph Track, Wallington, Surrey, SM6 0SH. Picking salad and firing up the wood burning oven, so bring food for lunch - all welcome! Open 11-4.
 
WANDSWORTH
• The Delphis Eco Garden Space # 876, Unit 1, River Reach, Gartons Way, SW11 3SX. Exit clapham junction via Grant Road Exit. Open 11-4.
• Doddington Den Space # 846, Roof Garden above the DRCA, Strasburg Rd, SW11 5JG. Gardening session from 10am-1pm- all welcome.  Communal lunch from 1pm-2.30pm and then fun garden activities until 4pm. Open 10-4.
EALING
• Cultivate London Space # 528, Top of East St, Brentford, TW8 8LR. Turn into Commere Rd, take the second right into East St. Make your way through the cars to the top of the street where you'll find double gates. Lunchtime BBQ 12:30-2pm, stall for buying Cultivate London herbs all day. Head Grower Ben Simpkins will be available to answer your questions on growing herbs. Open 11-4.
• Acton Community Garden Space # 416, The Lodge, Acton Park, The Vale, Acton, W3 7JT. Access via the cottage by the railway bridge to the West of Acton Park. BBQ 1-3. Open 11:30-3:30.
HAMMERSMITH AND FULHAM
• Phoenix School Farm and Learning Zone (West London Capital Growth Training Site) Bloemfontein Road, White City, W12 7DB. Open 11-4
KENSINGTON AND CHELSEA
• North Kensington Community Kitchen Space # 342, St Quintin's Ave, W10. Delicious homemade cakes will be on sale. Open 11-4. 
Please note that listings are subject to change and cancellation.  For up to date details see www.capitalgrowth.org/opengardens
 

5. A walking tour of projects on housing estates in the Bethnal Green area of East London will be taking place on the day. For more information and booking details https://www.capitalgrowth.org/events/tours/  News on cycle tours will be available here.
 
6. The bee campaign is called Capital Bee and promotes community-run beekeeping in London and campaigns for a bee-friendly city. www.capitalbee.org