The Shed is the nerve centre of the Stave Hill Ecology Park – the headquarters of an extremely capable lady who could probably run the country but instead works in the beautiful woodlands and nature reserve which have been developed in the former Surrey Commercial Docks in South East London. The Shed and surrounding Park are just a five-minute walk away from Lavender Pond. I visited The Shed last year and posted full details about how to find it.
As you walk through the gate there is an ‘Ah-Hah!’ moment when you know a visit is going to be imaginative and fun! It is quite amazing what can be achieved by one person and teams of volunteers – do visit during Open Garden Squares Weekend on 17 and 18 June, or at any time during the year. The woodlands and the Ecology Park are open all year and free to visit.
Conservation and recycling ideas are all around The Shed, but there is still space for flowers to soften the site.
The Creature Feature is fun – ‘hotels’ for protecting the bugs and beetles. These would be easy to make for your own garden and we all have left-over rolls of cardboard, plastic tubes, or small logs and twigs and leftover planking in the loft or garden shed, or that favourite ‘I’ll sort it out later’ spot!
Last year The Shed featured a Wigwam House for schools; this year the feature is a Straw Bale House, which is going to be painted sky blue. As you can see, the house was built by schoolchildren.
There is even a small vegetable garden!
The Woodland Walk takes you round the side of The Shed, with more good ideas hidden in the trees. And new this year is a little Viewing Platform on the edge of the woodlands – and yes, it is safe – it has been checked by a structural engineer!
I visited on an ordinary working day and some of the army of volunteers were hard at it, building bird boxes, gabions, and finishing off the Bee Centre, while others were out and about working on the new paths.
