Cable Street Community Gardens was ‘…founded in the late 1970’s as part of a Friends of the Earth initiative reclaiming derelict land for local community use…’ by an intrepid lady and a few friends and is now a haven of peace, productivity, and wild life on either side of the DLR in Tower Hamlets. ‘Community’ is important here, people know one another, and care. These are gardens rather than ‘allotments’ and they are organic gardens which are bursting with interest and life in all meanings of the word. The Cable Street Community Gardens will be open to the public during Open Garden Squares Weekend and they are a ‘must-visit’ in this area.
Enjoyment of these gardens starts at the gate where, unbelieveably, the planting conceals rubble! As I wandered along the narrow and sometimes overgrown paths I enjoyed the abundance of clematis, paeonies, arum lilies, the towering echiums, nigella, several varieties of geranium, foxgloves, ferns, jasmine, and many other beautiful plants and fragrances.
While this is not primarily a rose garden it is June and the roses are blooming and flourishing everywhere.
Fruit is developing well, helped by the bees kept in hives on both sides of the DLR. I saw apples, plums, cherries, strawberries, gooseberries, raspberries, vines, and rhubarb, and I am sure I probably missed several other kinds of healthy delight!
And of course there are the fanatical vegetable growers: beans, peas, potatoes, onions, beetroot, lettuce, radishes, broad beans – you name it, it is probably grown organically in some corner of this garden.
Even the work areas are attractive – the greenhouse, or a potting corner.
The birds, bees and insects are very much part of life in these gardens, with two sets of bee hives, and there are lots of corners in which to just sit and enjoy the sounds and scents.
Just come and enjoy the abundance of these gardens.
And during Open Garden Squares Weekend you could visit Cable Street Community Gardens, Winterton House, and Woollen House, all close to one another, and have a wonderful day of gardens, homemade teas and cakes, poetry, music, dancing ….
What a great community space what an asset! Lovely blooms especially the spires of Echiums!