Over 135 food gardens across the UK open their gates to volunteers
This week sees the start of Good to Grow Week 2024, where community food gardens across the UK are buzzing with excitement to welcome new visitors and volunteers from Monday 22 April.
The week-long celebration coordinated by Sustainable Food Places brings together garden enthusiasts, volunteers, and nature lovers to connect, learn, and grow together. With a wide array of events – whether you’re making a wildlife pond in Seaford, getting your hands dirty in Cornwall or building a bug hotel near Glasgow, there's something for everyone to enjoy.
You can also share the love by following us on @goodtogrowuk and @UKgoodtoGrow. This year we have prizes for the best community growing shot, so be on the look-out for the hashtag #GoodtoGrow2024 and let us know what you think!
If you're in London - then head over to our sister-site to take your pick of over 50 activities happening as part of Capital Growth's Good to Grow week.
Head over to our map of events, type in your postcode and find the delights near you plus many more gardens who have regular events through the year.
Here is our official calendar of events for the week:
Monday, April 22nd
Isle of Man: Cat's Sharing Garden in Douglas welcomes visitors for garden sharing all day.
East Midlands: Join Transition Loughborough Community Allotment in Loughborough hosts gardening and refreshments from 2pm to 6pm.
West Midlands: Kushinga Community Garden in Birmingham invites you to join them for gardening and composting from 1pm to 4:30pm.
North West: Join Grow Together in Bolton for gardening and workshops from 10am to 12pm.
South West:
- St Thomas Community Garden in Exeter will have a plant and information stall, music, cookery demo, and garden tours from 10am to 3pm.
- Stack Field Farm in Cornwall invites participants for tree and seed planting, vegetable growing, foraging, egg collecting, and feeding chickens from 11am to 2pm.
- Community Rest Garden in Cheltenham encourages participants to sow vegetable and herb seeds with Project Grow from 12pm to 2pm.
- Community Rainbow Garden Club in Exeter offers gardening, visits, and making from 2:30pm to 4:30pm.
South-East:
Growing People in Letchworth hosts a closed community session in the morning.
Scotland:
Incredible Edible Neilston near Glasgow will be sowing some seeds, planting peas, adding more wildflowers to the pollinator garden and creating a Bug hotel.
Tuesday, April 23rd
Isle of Man: Cat's Sharing Garden in Douglas continues garden sharing all day.
East Midlands:
- We Grow Together in Barton-Upon-Humber offers visits and a film screening from 10am to 1:30pm.
- Heartwood SC in Derbyshire Dales provides an opportunity to test out a borrowed Earthway seed drill and sow carrots, turnips, and radishes from 10:30am to 3pm.
West Midlands:
- Growing Opportunities in Smethwick hosts a coffee morning open day from 10am to 1pm.
- Babbinswood Community Garden in Oswestry offers activities including sowing sunflower seeds and origami bee making from 1pm to 2:30pm.
North East
- Grow Hexham in Hexham hosts seed planting and bed preparation from 10am to 12pm
- Blackhill & Consett Park Community Garden in Durham holds an open session from 10am to 12pm, followed by an info session and 'Men's Shed' launch from 1pm to 3pm.
Wednesday, April 24th
Isle of Man: Cat's Sharing Garden in Douglas continues garden sharing all day.
South East:
- Hope Farm Community Garden in Tunbridge Wells invites volunteers for grow kit prep from 9:30am to 1pm.
- The Old Stables in Oxford offers community seed sowing and sharing from 1pm to 3pm.
- Incredible Edible Seaford in Seaford hosts making a wildlife-friendly pond from 4pm to 6pm.
South West:
- Hillfields Community Garden in Bristol encourages participants to sow and plant from 12pm to 1pm.
- Devon Refugee Support in Devon holds an open day from 2pm to 4pm.
East Midlands:
- Saffron Acres in Leicester hosts community food growing and gardening activities from 9:30am to 2:30pm
- Belgrave Community Garden Project in Leicester invites participants for planting and sowing seeds for a wildflower corridor from 10am to 11am.
- Peace of Haven at Beaumont Lodge in Leicester offers tours and refreshments from 11am to 2pm.
Thursday, April 25th
Isle of Man: Cat's Sharing Garden in Douglas has a garden share all day
East Midlands:
- Radcliffe Community Garden in Radcliffe-on-Trent hosts making a wildlife pond and sowing sunflower seeds from 3pm to 5pm
- British Islamic Garden in Reading holds a drop-in community garden development day from 10am to 12pm
- RISC Rooftop Garden in Reading offers a guided tour, visit, and Right to Grow session from 11am to 2pm
- South Wonston Sustainability in Winchester invites participants for a community allotment visit from 2pm to 3:30pm.
South East: Growing People in Letchworth hosts a closed community session in the morning.
West Midlands: Join growing Opportunities in Oldbury for a coffee morning open day from 10am to 1pm.
Friday, April 26th:
Isle of Man: Cat's Sharing Garden in Douglas continues garden sharing all day.
North West:
- Incredible Edible Cockermouth in Cumbria invites participants for gardening from 11am to 2pm.
- Our Sale West Community Gardens in Cheshire offers sowing seeds from 11am to 2pm.
- Incredible Edible Sedgely Park in Manchester hosts open sessions at various times.
South East:
- Hope Farm Community Garden in Tunbridge Wells offers grow kit prep from 9:30am to 1pm.
- Oxford City Farm in Oxford provides community gardening and a farm visit from 10am to 1pm.
- Holy Brook Nook Community Gardens in Reading invites participants for planting a wildlife pond and seed sowing from 3pm to 5pm.
South West: Routeways Devonport Activity Centre in Plymouth will host a day of gardening and refreshments from 10am to 3pm.
West Midlands: Growing Opportunities in Oldbury will be having a coffee morning open day from 10am to 3pm.
Saturday, April 27th:
Isle of Man: Cat's Sharing Garden in Douglas continues garden sharing all day.
North West:
- Crossgates Train Station in Leeds offers a visit and chat at 10am.
- Incredible Edible Cockermouth in Cumbria invites participants for gardening from 11am to 2pm.
- Our Sale West Community Gardens in Cheshire holds a session for sowing seeds from 11am to 2pm.
- Incredible Edible Ratcliffe, Prestwich, St Mary's Phillips Park, and Stand Unitarian Chapel in Manchester host open sessions at various times.
South East:
- Arbury Court Community Garden in Cambridge hosts seed planting from 9:30am to 11:30am.
- The British Islamic Garden in Reading holds a drop-in community garden development day from 10am to 12pm.
- RISC Rooftop Garden in Reading offers a guided tour, visit, and Right to Grow session from 11am to 2pm.
- The Hidden Garden in Selsey invites participants for wildlife-friendly gardening from 10am to 2pm.
- Hauxton Preschool in South Cambridgeshire will be clearing and preparing their small garden area for Spring.
- WIEW Community Allotment in Winchester holds an allotment open day from 10am to 3pm. Community Green Space at Winnall in Winchester offers community gardening from 11am to 12:30pm.
- Fork & Dig It in Brighton hosts site tours, a light lunch, and refreshments at 11am and 1pm.
- Westcott Community Garden in Dorking holds open visits from 11am to 2pm.
- Peacehaven Community Garden in Peacehaven hosts moth garden planting and refreshments from 2pm to 4pm.
- Mill Lane Community Garden in Chinnor offers a plant and seed swap and activities for children from 2pm to 4pm.
South West:
- Choose Nature CIC in Cornwall hosts dad and children growing activities from 10:30am to 1pm.
- Hillfields Community Garden in Bristol offers bed preparation and sowing from 12pm to 1pm
Scotland:
- Mount Florida Community Garden opens their doors for a garden tour and gardening from 12pm to 2pm
- Coo Park Community Growing Space in Falkirk hosts an afternoon of growing activities including make your own planters and window boxes from 12pm to 3pm
- We Feed the UK 'Cultivating Equality' exhibition launches in Glasgow from 3pm to 5pm
Sunday, April 28th:
Isle of Man: Cat's Sharing Garden in Douglas continues garden sharing all day.
East Midlands:
- Radcliffe Community Garden in Radcliffe-on-Trent hosts making a wildlife pond and sowing sunflower seeds from 3pm to 5pm.
- British Islamic Garden in Reading holds a drop-in community garden development day from 10am to 12pm.
- RISC Rooftop Garden in Reading offers a guided tour, visit, and Right to Grow session from 11am to 2pm
- South Wonston Sustainability in Winchester invites participants for a community allotment visit from 2pm to 3:30pm
Scotland: Join Coo Park Community Growing Space in Falkirk for growing activities from 12pm to 3pm.
East of England: Midsummer Common Community Orchard in Cambridge welcomes guests for a visit and new honey bee colony discussion from 10am to 2pm.
Monday, April 29th:
Isle of Man: Cat's Sharing Garden in Douglas continues garden sharing all day.
North West:
- Our Sale West Community Gardens in Cheshire will be sowing seeds from 11am to 2pm.
- Incredible Edible Sedgely Park in Manchester hosts open sessions for visitors at various time
South East: Growing People in Letchworth hosts a closed community session in the morning.
West Midlands:
Kushinga Community Garden in Birmingham invites you to join them for gardening and composting from 1pm to 4:30pm.
Further details and information including accessibility and parking can be found on our map.
Get stuck in, Good to Growers!
22/04/2024
