Residents’ garden in south London

This community garden for the residents of a council block in London SE5 emerged from de-paving 270 square meters of tarmac. With a limited budget to remove the tarmac, Loughborough Junction Action Group, (LJAG) and the London Wildlife Trust worked together with the residents of the block and other local volunteers.

A haven for residents and wildlife, the garden has spaces for food growing, socialising, cooking outside, and a grass lawn. The design splits the garden into three distinct areas, and preserves the privacy of the ground floor residents. Waste and discarded timber, re-imagined furniture and objects are set in a lush landscape of fruit trees, vegetables and herbaceous borders for people to share and enjoy and meet their neighbours.

The artist ATM was engaged to paint a striking mural of a lesser spotted woodpecker, the type of bird who might have inhabited the area in the past. A sculptural bee hotel was made during a get-together to remember the passing of one of the local residents who was garden regular. It utilised timber ornaments from her house with holes drilled for insects so her memory shelters solitary bees and insects who help to pollinate the garden.

The space is in good use for events for people in the community, from children’s birthday parties to friends holding a BBQ. While it is a residents’ garden, invitations are offered to passers-by and interested parties to come and get involved. The food growing aspect is linked to the Loughborough Farm.