Dalston Eastern Eastern Curve Garden, Hackney

Spring is here and is bringing some gorgeous days for photography.  Some days ago I was working on a reportage about a community garden in Dalston, in the council of Hackney.  In this area there are several interesting initiatives exploring  local possibilities and measures to develop sustainable city landscapes, but also the involvement of the communities living in those boroughs in creating liveable town and cities.

This is the case of the Dalston Eastern Curve Garden,  a real green oasis in the middle of buildings and a noisy city.  This garden was created some years ago in a plot part of the railway that time ago linked Dalston with North London. In 2009 exyzt, a collective of architecture activists, designed and built a temporary garden and in 2010, extended their action to build a pavilion and some wooden structures.  From there the garden begun to take shape and is still continuing growing on an undefined  permanence.

The place was conceived as a space for residents in the area, but immediately was opened to welcome all visitants who want to enjoy a calm and relaxed time in the company of wild life, trees, shrubs, flowers, a herbs garden and some dedicated beds and pots to growing vegs.

It is a community garden but is now becoming more a statement of the values of preserving green spaces within cities, and the use of organic techniques for growing vegetation, food and wild life.  A perfect example of what can be achieved if there is a solid decision from a dedicated group of volunteers directed by a team of master gardeners, who work hard to maintain the garden.

There is also a very nice cafe that serves organic products and a calendar of events was launched at the beginning of spring with sustainability as the main concept, it offers a promise of a very joyful summer.

Definitely it's an inspirational proposal for others to follow.

This is the tour to the garden.  The welcoming entrance


The inviting cafe


The herbs garden using all type of containers, here a sample of a heathy rosemary in bloom.


The wooden structures were added in 2010


Groups of volunteers tend the garden in organised schedules


Beds filled with new organic compost that are ready to be planted. In the past days there has been a "compost give away2 event together in cooperation with London Waste - Eco Park Compost, to promote the use of organic compost in gardening




This the multipurpose greenhouse used for events, workshops, etc.


Comments

Much enjoyed going through the photos of the Curve Garden. Great to visit a little of England today! JC
Anonymous said…
I too liked the visit. Lots of interest there.
What a neat place! I enjoyed the wall planter with all the little Spinach (or Chard or Lettuce?) plants growing out of their individual spots. I'd love to visit the Curve Garden someday!