Bees and things and flowers, right in the heart of the East End
Come say hello. We are located steps away from the Young V&A and a short walk from Victoria Park. View map.
Watch our story to learn more about our site:
Approach Gardens features over 40 raised beds, a fruit orchard, composting areas, a wildlife pond, and a brand-new community beehive. Biodiversity is supported through wildflower meadows, native hedgerows, nectar bars, bug hotels and bat boxes.
The garden brings together neighbours of all ages, backgrounds and cultures to grow a vibrant mix of crops, including Asian gourds, red spinach, mustard greens, heritage tomatoes, courgettes, chillies, strawberries, plums, apples and fresh herbs.
Supported by Tower Hamlets Homes, Approach Gardens has received the London in Bloom Silver ‘Thriving Garden’ award and repeated recognition in the Tower Hamlets in Bloom Awards for Best Community and Wildlife Garden.
Founded in 2009 by local residents, the garden began as an unused patch of land and rubble. With support from the council and the dedication of neighbours, it was transformed into a thriving community space for growing food and bringing people together.
Our amazing community hosts regular neighbourhood events, take part in London Open Gardens each year, and run volunteer days and community activities like pumpkin carving and Eid dinners throughout the seasons.
All neighbours are welcome to join us in this shared space for connection, learning and community life.
Summer 2017
July. Sunflowers and other summer lovelies.
July. Bee friendly Aliums
June. Our beautiful wildflower meadow
Spring 2017
March. The new ‘Bug Hotel’, mostly constructed with scaffold boards re-cycled from the old growing beds after they were dismantled.
March. Installing the new (sustainably sourced) teak bench and new garden gnome in the pond area. Bench kindly donated by the Deutsch Börse group.
February. The new ‘Big Lottery’ funded growing beds under construction.
2016
October 2016. The condition of some of the growing beds before the ‘Big Lottery’ rebuild takes place.
We are taking part again in London Open Gardens, an city-wide annual event where normally closed or hidden green spaces open their gates. Check out our profile. We are one of several local Tower Hamlets spaces welcoming in visitors on this special weekend. Check out our opening times and our amazing neighbours: Tower Hamlets OpenSaturday …
Some Luvverrly July Crops Late June to early July The critters are emerging from the pond… Mr. Toad hiding from the blazing sun… Great Get Together 2018 The Great Get Together party on a very hot Sunday 24th June just after England beat Panama by a whopping 6-1!
Crops at the Start of June Strawberries and a fine balsamic vinegar Little Gem lettuce. Five minutes from garden to plate. Drizzled with olive oil and seasoned with sea salt and black pepper. Open Garden Squares Weekend 2018 A great excuse to show off our most recent awards at Open Garden Squares …
If you are interested in joining our community garden or volunteering with us, please email approachgardens@gmail.com.
Local residents are invited to apply directly to our waitlist here. Please note the current wait time is up to three years.