Cultivating Connection and Growth in Hackney’s Green Spaces
As we step into 2025, we’re thrilled to share the latest updates, stories, and opportunities from the ecoACTIVE Community Garden Network. Our network of thriving green spaces continues to grow, bringing together gardeners, nature enthusiasts, and local communities across Hackney to connect, create, and cultivate.
From the vibrant transformations of Evergreen Square Garden to the ongoing commemorative work at the Kingsmead Memory Garden and the enduring legacy of the Robin Hood Community Garden, there’s so much to celebrate. These spaces are not just gardens—they’re places where people and nature come together, fostering resilience, creativity, and biodiversity in the heart of our urban neighbourhoods.
In this edition, we’ll take a closer look at the inspiring projects shaping our gardens, share tips to keep your garden thriving through the winter, and invite you to join our growing community in 2025. Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or a first-time visitor, there’s always a place for you in our network.
Let’s make this year one of growth, connection, and green spaces for everyone. 🌿
Evergreen Square: Resting, but Ready to Grow Again
After a vibrant summer in 2024, Evergreen Square Garden is resting under the winter hues, preparing for another year of growth and creativity. Last year, families and volunteers brought new life to the garden, planting hyssop, beans, rosemary, lavender, calendula, sunflowers, and more. The addition of fruit bushes, including red currants and strawberries, made the space both beautiful and productive.
The insect hotel, built with biodiversity in mind, continues to provide a cozy winter home for local wildlife, while the creative signs and butterfly feeders crafted by children brighten up the space. With ecoACTIVE’s ongoing facilitation, the garden is poised for an exciting spring.
Robin Hood Community Garden: 15 Years of Flourishing Community
Since 2010, the Robin Hood Community Garden has been a cherished green space in Hackney, nestled between High Hill Ferry, Springfield Park, and the River Lea. Now entering its 15th year, the garden remains a vital sanctuary for nature and community, offering spaces to relax, learn, and connect.
With a blooming fruit orchard and a growing medicinal herb garden, the garden continues to explore innovative, sustainable practices while linking to Hackney’s herbalist traditions. Monthly open garden mornings offer a chance to drop in, lend a hand, or enjoy a chat over a cup of tea.
Kingsmead Memory Garden: A Sanctuary for Reflection and Biodiversity
The Kingsmead Memory Garden is nearing completion as we approach its March 2025 deadline. This memorial garden honours beloved residents Carol, Wendy, and June, known as the Golden Girls, while serving as a pollinator-friendly space.
Over the past months, volunteers have transformed the area, creating wildflower meadows, planting lavender and climbing roses, and designing solitary bee habitat banks. These habitats, carefully constructed with sandy loam soil, provide the ideal conditions for pollinators to flourish.
Hackney Mosaics will soon add stunning pollinator-themed artwork and a commemorative plaque near the seating area, making this a beautiful and peaceful space for remembrance and reflection.
Dec 2024 Newsletter
Download a PDF of our latest Community Garden newsletter.
Join Us in 2025
Hackney’s gardens continue to thrive thanks to the dedication of our incredible community. With over 15 green spaces in the ecoACTIVE network, there’s never been a better time to get involved.
Have gardening tips, recipes, or stories to share? Or want to help shape our projects? Contact [email protected]. Together, let’s make 2025 a year of connection, creativity, and growth.
