an award-winning
upcycled community hub for growing and connecting
 a large vibrant multi-use hubat 900sqm, The UP Garden allows multiple use at the same time whether you want to be alone or with others - we have a variety of seating, some with backs and arms to aid feeding parents, higher benches for those with mobility issues, and lower chairs for our younger visitors |
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 surround yourself with urban naturethere are over 200 species of edible and ornamental plants at our last count, specifically chosen to thrive in urban conditions and require less watering whilst also providing food and shelter to local wildlife - we also have different plant projects (see link) including our wildflower bed which shimmers through a different colour of the rainbow every other week over spring and summer, and attracts dozens of pollinators |
 self-led nature trailour nature trail can be enjoyed in multiple way - try the online trail (scan the QR on our noticeboard), learn about each wildlife species (scan the QR near each plaque), create paper rubbings, draw them freehand, or just hunt for all 16! |
 biodiverse-rich turf with reclaimed materials for playto encourage creative open-ended play, there are colourful tyres, tree slices, decking planks and wooden blocks at the side of our biodiverse-rich turf - please tidy them back after using |
 plenty of space to picnictake a break from your screen and have your lunch in the fresh air, or bring a picnic and extend your visit - but please note there are no toilet facilities at The UP Garden, instead Wild Goose Bakery (1 minute walk) has a toilet for its customers, and The Holly Tree (5 minute walk) is a member of the community toilet scheme |
 book exchangewe have lovingly-restored a vintage K6 telephone box that has been upcycled into a book exchange to encourage literacy and sustainable recycling of books - to learn more about its history and how to use it, click on the link |
 shady pergolaour colourful covered pergola provides shade in hot or rainy weather, and has a couple of large tables great for picnicking or board games, as well as a fuรball table - it's popular with other small grassroots community groups for hosting workshops |
 mud labour mud lab helps your little ones to develop their gross motor skills and curiosity in nature, and whilst the gravel drains are not for play we've discovered they're irresistible to little ones so there is a crate of colourful pots to aid with play and a mini broom to tidy up afterwards - encourage, rather than admonish! |
 micro-allotment projectwe built six 1sqm planters for anyone without a garden of their own to borrow to grow their own food - to join the waitlist, please apply via the link on the plant projects page |
 community pianopianos are the ideal gateway instrument but are expensive and large, so to break down barriers to access to music we have a community piano housed in a weatherproof cabinet that showcases the art of local artist Andy MacManus - unless and until we need to, it will remain unlocked, but please put the latch back on after use |
 table footballteenagers told us that they wanted some kind of multi-player entertainment and covered seating so we sourced an outdoor fuรball table which lives under our pergola (which has a couple of large tables perfect for board games too) - sometimes the ball goes walkabouts so feel free to bring your own! |
 low-level planting to nurture children's curiosity in natureto encourage our younger visitors, we have plenty of low-level planting such as upcycled colourful tyre planters with a range of different plants, short box planters, and raised beds - but please don't let them garden in case they undo our work, bring them along to our free weekly community gardening drop-in sessions instead (see link)! |
 sustainable transport parkingditch the car and visit us on foot, scooter or bicycle - we have adult cycle racks, a small planter to secure children's cycles to, scooter racks, and covered buggy parking which has a herb roof on top! |
 accessibility throughout The UP Gardenwe have planters at standing height, at seated height with chairs with backs that are light enough to move around, low-level planters for our younger visitors, and planters co-designed with a wheelchair user that have baskets for storing items temporarily to reduce journeys to and from our pink public shed, which can be reached via the grid pathway over our turf (all of our walkways are wide enough for wheelchairs - we have more accessibility measures planned when we can raise more funding |
an urban community hub
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The UP Garden is a council estate yard reclaimed and transformed by local residents into a vibrant community hub. It is maintained by a small group of volunteers who believe that everyone should have the opportunity to enjoy nature.โ It is open all day, every day, for free.
This community-focussed approach led to The RHS and the BBC crowning it as the inaugural winner of their Growing Together award for community gardening.โโ
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Find out more about The UP Garden's journey from post-Blitz laundry yard to urban wasteland to award-winning community garden, see us on The ONE Show and other press coverage, take a video tour, or click on the hexagons to check out what there is to enjoy every day.
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events
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A variety of events take place at The UP Garden throughout the year. Click on the hexagons to find out about our typical offerings.
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Click below to see our latest events.
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 weekly community gardening sessionsto avoid people accidentally overdoing or undoing what's just been done, we host free community gardening drop-in sessions every week (see "Social Weedia" flyer) for the public to help us with tending and weeding - it's also a nice opportunity to meet like-minded neighbours over half-time biscuits! |
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 biweekly term-time urban forest schoolwe are thrilled that most of Nature Builders' urban forest school sessions take place at The UP Garden - spaces are free but limited so must be booked (clink link for details and booking) |
 weekly term-break family activities sessionsduring spring and summer term breaks, we run free weekly family activity sessions comprising arts, crafts, trails and open-ended play - look out for our Friends of Urban Nature (FUN) flyers and make sure to book your places! |
 quarterly seasonal community gatheringsjoin us at our Springtide, Summertide, Autumntide and Wintertide gatherings and enjoy a seasonally-themed Friends of Urban Nature (FUN) session, local music act, refreshments, and a chance to meet your community! |
 large-scale collaborationsin 2023 we co-hosted our ward's coronation event in collaboration with the London Borough of Newham and welcomed between 500-600 visitors in 2024 we hosted the official "relaxed zone" for Forest Gayte Pride weekend and welcomed between 400-450 visitors keep an eye out for event flyers |
 GoodGym do-good-feel-good sessionsGoodGym provide muscle and energy for community tasks and were invaluable during The UP Garden's creation - we're always looking to welcome them back, so keep an eye out for the next GoodGym flyer |
 a platform for small grassroots community groupsThe UP Garden is free for anyone to use and that includes numerous grassroots community groups like Eco7, Queers + Allies FGCA, Messages Of Welcome, and Starling Arts |
support us
The UP Garden is maintained by a small group of local volunteers who keep it safe and welcoming, and manage the administration and events. We are always in need of extra help, whether you can give a little or a lot of time, regularly or ad hoc. All funds received go towards the overheads, maintenance and events, and we make every penny count!
Click to tell us if you can support us with your...
contact us
Got an idea? Items to donate? General query? Let us know!
You might catch some of us at our community gardening sessions, but otherwise this contact form is the best way to reach us.โโโ
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find us
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There are no toilet facilities at The UP Garden. Wild Goose Bakery (1 minute walk) has a toilet for its customers, and The Holly Tree (5 minute walk) is a member of the community toilet scheme.โโ
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Open 9am to 6pm (4-5pm during Daylight Savings Time), every day apart from 24/25/26/31 December and 1 January, and ad hoc closures for maintenance work. Check our social media for updatesโ.
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Eric Close laundry yard, Forest Gate, London, E7 0AY (gates are between 1-4 and 5-10 Eric Close).
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