London’s organic and community gardens: what are their benefits?

 Many people have been taking up gardening since the start of the pandemic, with some opting for community gardens in their neighbourhood as a great way to learn new skills and meet new people.
Many gardens in London practice organic gardening techniques by avoiding polluting chemical substances, creating healthy soil, and encouraging people to have a more holistic approach to green spaces.
Community gardening has an important role in giving people an opportunity to engage with nature, while also being a space to socialise and share a common purpose with others in the area.
Brockwell Park Community Greenhouses (BPCG), a community garden in the centre of Lambeth which practices organic gardening methods, has regular gardening sessions, and also offers a range of non-horticultural activities, such as lino printing, woodworking, yoga, tai chi and fermentation to draw wider parts of the community in.
It aims to provide a creative environment that people want to spend time in.
Chris Smith, Chair of BPCG said the garden’s mission is: “To be a haven for urban people and wildlife, and to provide a place where everybody can learn, play and grow together.” 

An increasing number of people in urban spaces have been taking up community gardening since the start of the pandemic, and throughout the numerous lockdowns across the country, with many saying they have rediscovered nature.
An important and common component of a lot of community gardens is that they try to use organic gardening techniques, and encourage the local community to have a more holistic approach to green spaces.


Community gardening has an important role in giving people an opportunity to engage with nature, while also being a space to socialise and share a common purpose with others in the area.
Brockwell Park Community Greenhouses (BPCG), a community garden in the centre of Lambeth which practices organic gardening methods, has regular gardening sessions, and also offers a range of non-horticultural activities, such as lino printing, woodworking, yoga, tai chi and fermentation to draw wider parts of the community in. It aims to provide a creative environment that people want to spend time in.
Chris Smith, Chair of BPCG said: “An important part of our mission is to reach people who are deprived of green spaces, but also those who are economically and educationally deprived.
“We are also trying to reach more men as 75% of our volunteers are women.”
Joe White, who is a new volunteer at BPCG, said that he enjoys spending time with people of all age groups who he might not encounter in his day-to-day life.
White said: “I learn so much from being surrounded by people in the community, not many other places provide such an opportunity.”

Source: SW Londoner