Community Gardening Event — Planting Our New On‑Street Rain Garden (Prince Edward Road, E9)
As part of our work locally with Awoke Plants we’re hosting a series of free community gardening sessions on Prince Edward Road learning together while we plant a new on‑street rain garden, designed collaboratively with local Hackney Wick residents.
This is “Working With, Not Doing To” in practice: a local project shaped by local voices, built through shared care, and made real by turning up and getting your hands in the soil.
What’s happening
Following our community gardening design workshop in May, Hackney Council has purchased the plants chosen by local residents — and now we get planting.
Across multiple dates, we’ll be:
planting the new rain garden together
learning practical urban gardening skills
exploring the idea of the Right To Grow in Hackney
building confidence to care for the green spaces around us
You don’t need any experience — just curiosity and a willingness to muck in.
Good to know
Free event (multiple dates available)
All plants and materials provided
Please join for the start briefing, but you don’t need to stay for the whole session
Under 18s welcome with a parent or legal guardian
What to wear: sturdy shoes (ideally with ankle support) and old clothes you don’t mind getting muddy
Location
Prince Edward Road, London E9
Why it matters
A rain garden is a small intervention with a big impact: it makes the street greener, supports biodiversity, and helps manage rainfall — but the real point is simpler.
When local people help design and plant a space, it stops being “public realm” and starts being ours.
Book your place
Find the dates and register here:
If you’ve ever walked past a strip of grey street and thought, “This could be alive,” this is your moment.