UK: Drab roof transformed into community garden

The rooftop garden will be a teaching space where people can learn about horticulture, sutainablility and gardening.

By Holly Chant
Hackney Gazette
Oct 8, 2019

Excerpt:

Core Landscapes takes vacant land in the city and turns it into green spaces and community hubs.

“It’s so nice the space is being used – so beautiful. I love the idea of roof gardens in London and the artists get to look out into the garden now,” said Emily who works next door at Core Arts.

For the last eight years most of the sites Core Landscapes have made into sustainable gardens have been temporary. This new spot, however, off Wardle Street, will be Core Landscapes new permanent home. The new garden will be used for workshops to teach adults with mental health issues about gardening and have open days and volunteering opportunities to involve the wider community.

Core Landscapes is already connecting and engaging with other community gardens in Hackney and plan to help communities build more green havens in the borough.

Nemone Mercer, landscape manager, said: “Anything like gardening or yoga, singing or art can be used as a way of enabling people to have some kind of mental respite and gardening together can give a sense of community.”

Before moving to Homerton, Nemone and her team worked to transform unused bits of land in Whitechapel and Canning Town.

Read the complete article here.