Blooming Lambeth
In summer 2017, IEL’s judges and writer/photographer Elaine Kramer visited gardens nominated by gardeners, friends and neighbours. Lambeth’s Mayor, Cllr Marcia Cameron, presented 18 of the borough’s best gardens and gardening communities with awards in a ceremony at the recently-reopened Museum of Garden History. Every garden won £100 to invest in growing better next year.
Word from the Council
Cllr Marcia Cameron, the Mayor of Lambeth, said:
“Sometimes as a Councillor you hear bad things about Lambeth – but I know so much to be proud of: the busy-ness of Waterloo Station, open-air swimming at the Lido, a working windmill, the Black Cultural Archives. Here we are at the world’s first garden museum – and it’s in Lambeth.
“And something we can be particularly proud of is this – so many community activists growing food, growing communities, all doing something to help Lambeth be a better place.”
Brockwell Park Community Greenhouses
Managed and maintained largely by volunteers, the charity provides local people with a space to garden, a beautiful setting for visitors to enjoy and a rich wildlife and horticultural resource for many educational activities. Since 2015 Lambeth has been one of the warmest areas in the country. This was a major factor in the creation of The Hot! Border at the back of the Victorian walled garden in Brockwell Park. The Hot! Border was filled with plants previously grown inside the Community Greenhouses. These include intensely colourful tender perennials such as orange canna, purple castor oil plant and hardy banana plants (Musa basjoo) both green leaved and purple. Initially volunteers dug up the tropical beauties for the winter but since last year many have been left in place and been able to romp away.
“We help people grow through learning, and learn through growing.”
For more information
- Food growing is getting bigger and bigger on Lambeth estates. It brings communities and generations together and inspires healthy eating. A trained Community Gardener from Urban Growth will help get your project up and running. You’ll have opportunities to get involved in cooking (or cookery lessons) and other food workshops. Please contact gettinginvolved@lambeth.gov.uk
- Incredible Edible Lambeth (IEL) is a network of food growers and activists working to improve our communities. We exist to re-localise the food system in Lambeth so that it nurtures us and strengthens our communities. See a map of what’s growing where and read more about our campaigns on our news pages.
Thank you to photographer Elaine Kramer for the words and pictures on the ‘Blooming Lambeth’ pages.
