Edible Bus Stop blossoms again with community celebration

Lambeth Council put £30,000 into revamping the neglected patch of land around the bus stop into a permanent garden through its Neighbourhood Enhancement Programme. The Mayor of London’s Pocket Park fund also put £30,000 into the project.

Cllr Imogen Walker, Cabinet Member for Environment and Sustainability, said: “We at Lambeth Council are delighted to have been able to back a resident- led project in this way. We have put the money to support the landscaping of the re-design of the garden and are thrilled to help enable local residents to continue to tend the garden with the magnificent results they have seen over the past two years.”

Saturday’s launch will start with an open topped, double decker bus from West Norwood which will travel to Windrush Square, Brixton for music and seed give-aways.The party will then head onto Landor Road, where Cllr Lib Peck, Lambeth Council leader, will perform a ribbon cutting ceremony before six fruit trees will be planted, making Landor Road’s Edible Bus Stop an urban orchard.

The garden which is London’s first Pocket Park under the Mayor of London’s scheme has been totally redesigned. The new layout was created by Edible Bus Stop volunteers, and the final design was completed by Will Sandy, the Edible Bus Stop’s Creative Director.

Makaela Gilchrist, Founding Member of the Edible Bus Stop project, who has lived in Landor Road for 25-years set up the group with her neighbours. She said: “The Edible Bus Stop is a wonderful example of community taking action to improve the area they live 

 “Neighbours have a chance to get to know each other whilst gardening, sharing skills and smiles. The surrounding community get to enjoy the garden and watch it grow and the environment gets to benefit from the greening the garden brings.

 ‘It’s an all-round good thing to have in your neighbourhood.”

The Edible Bus Stop relies on volunteers to tend and maintain the garden and they meet at the Landor Road garden every second Sunday 1-4pm. The project has earned a place in the Chelsea Fringe Festival which started on May 18th to encourage people to be creative and get involved in gardening.

 For more information visit www.theediblebusstop.org or follow on Twitter @EdibleBusStop.

* Lambeth Council’s Green Community Champions programme is available to support other community gardening projects. To contact the team which can offer support email greenchampion@lambeth.gov.uk.

* The new design features raised beds, new pathways across the garden, central meeting point around the existing Silver Maple tree, new seating areas, a concealed composting area, mesh screening

*Work redesign started in early February and was completed this week.

*The project first started in March 2011 when locals began “guerrilla gardening”  before starting the Edible Bus Stop project. As it developed people were encouraged to donate seedlings and plants to create the edible garden. The project has gained the backing of Lambeth Council which owns the land.