Share the Urban Harvest with London's edible gardens

This annual autumnal city-wide open day to organise by Capital Growth, to help gardens promote their good work in local communities and demonstrate just how much food is being grown within London’s urban gardens. With an interactive map of gardens taking part across the city, it’s easy to find out what’s happening in any neighbourhood.

“Pumpkins are getting heavier, tomatoes are ripening and peas can still be eaten fresh from the pod – September is the season of abundant harvest and a perfect time to discover what’s growing in the city. It’s a great way to meet new people, get outside and learn more about all the amazing ways to grow food in urban areas,” says Janelle Conn from Capital Growth.  

Maryon Park Community Garden in Greenwich will have a full day of family activities including making bird feeders and an outdoor art making workshop as well as having lots of garden goodies for sale.  Rainbow Grow in Hackney will be giving a short talk about their participation at this year’s Hampton Court Flower Show, as well as offering foraging walks and other gardening sessions throughout the day.  Whetstone Allotment Garden in Barnet will give a guided tour of their plot and prepare a harvest meal to be shared. 

In Tower Hamlets, Spitalfields City Farm will be focusing on harvesting and sharing a meal combining what they grew this year, and taking time to reflect upon the practice of food growing and where our food comes from. And up in Green Lanes, The Castle Garden visitors will be able to take part in lots of garden activities, including seasonal food growing games and nature crafts.  You can also try your hand at contributing to an Autumn Equinox mandala and penning a harvest poem to be shared on the community poem board!

Capital Growth’s flagship allotment garden in The Regent’s Park will host their annual harvest party, where visitors can have a go at pressing fresh apple juice, take part in garden competitions or grab a pizza fresh from the cob oven topped with garden produce. There will also be children’s activities, live music and plenty of garden goodies for sale to benefit the project’s ongoing work with local schools.

A full list of participating gardens and their activities can be found on our Urban Harvest map.

The Urban Harvest is a showcase event taking place during London Food Link’s Urban Food Fortnight, and is part of Capital Growth’s London Grows initiative, supported by City Bridge Trust.

For full details about The Urban Harvest, please visit www.capitalgrowth.org/events/opengardens

ENDS

For more information or photos contact Janelle Conn at janelle@sustainweb.org or 0203 5596777 or visit www.capitalgrowth.org

@Capital_Growth       facebook.com/capitalgrowth

Editorial Notes

1. Capital Growth is a London Food Link project (part of the charity Sustain), started in 2008 to help set up 2,012 new community food growing spaces by the end of 2012. Capital Growth continues to support over 2500 members to set up and run gardens, with funding from The Mayor of London, City Bridge Trust and Ernest Cook Trust.
    
2. The Urban Harvest is a showcase event taking place during London Food Link’s Urban Food Fortnight, which celebrates the ultra-local food being grown, cooked, made and saved on London’s doorstep and runs from 20 September – 7 October.