About

Our Story

Part 1. Creating a guerrilla garden within a month 

They say, ‘all of life’s problems can be solved in a garden’. In spring 2019, a group of XR activists got together to reimagine a derelict space in Hackney Central, London. The garden sprang up within a few weeks, with the help of activists, artists, growers, makers from the surrounding area using only reclaimed materials. The founding principle was to transform unused urban sites into green community spaces. Over the year, and through the involvement of the local community, the group grew in size and ideas. Our approach to  wellbeing became clearer and deeply connected to access for all to nature and each other.

This is our original site, at 231 Graham Rd. It is owned by Hackney council, and was to become the second entrance to Hackney Central Station. So in the Autumn of 2020 we worked with the council to encourage the vision of a greener station entrance – with pergola entrance, living wall, edible fruit trees, bike racks and green roof. Town Hall planners eventually gave the green light. This felt like a great success within the context of progressive urban regeneration, but it also meant that in Spring of 2021, we had to leave and find a new home. After some searching around, we found one. Our sites were set on a derelict space only a few doors down on the same road. We arranged a new lease from Hackney council, said our goodbyes to our beloved mural painted by Krista and the reclaimed glasshouse, and began the second part of our journey – the giant task of moving the gardens.

Part 2. Moving to the new site

The Garden of Earthly Delights’ new home, 161 Graham Rd

Moving to the new site was seen as a great opportunity to engage as many people as possible in the making of this new oasis. Throughout the summer we have been building planters, sowing and growing flowers and vegetables, meeting our neighbours, and holding a colourful variety of events.  Everyone at the garden is excited to continue what we see as a service for our much loved community:

  • Reactivating vacant spaces in dense & polluted areas of our borough where more green space is needed
  • Engaging with the local community, supporting health and well-being through access to nature, growing food, and related activities
  • Promoting a deep connection to nature, educating about biodiversity, permaculture and climate change
  • Providing a vibrant eco-educational hub, where knowledge and skills in food growing, plant propagation, wood working, circular economics are shared – where we welcome learning in all subjects related to planet and ecosystem health, holistically
  • Operating as a resource space to help others create their own community gardens and projects