John Evelyn Community Garden
About us
Our John Evelyn Community Garden has developed through local residents on the Pepys estate, Deptford, working together in search of somewhere to both grow fresh food and to have a place of rest from the stress of urban life.
Our Garden takes its name from John Evelyn, an earlier 17th Century horticulturalist and tree planter, who lived and worked at Sayes Court (Palace), Deptford, and whose family was a major landowner in the local area.
View timeline, Sayes Court Garden
Our history
In 2004, Pepys Community Forum gained the agreement of Lewisham Council to develop a Community Garden.
Work started in July 2005, as local residents cleared the site of rubbish. Once the site was clear, an infrastructure was laid out with a poly tunnel, shed, paths, pond, fruit trees, and vegetable patches.
Since this time the Garden has benefited from both employed Staff and Volunteer skills to sustain the development of food growing, pulling knowledge together and creating the unique character of the site.
Fundraising
Our Garden has benefited from:
Living spaces, Scarman Trust, Breathing Spaces, U-Decide Evelyn Ward Deptford, Capital Growth, South London & Maudsley Trust (SLAM), NHS DeptfordNewCross Choose Health, Lewisham Homes Community Fund, Evelyn Assembly, NCDP Neighbourhood 1, Co-op Community Fund, Greening Fund.
Our Vision
We grow fresh food locally, using permaculture and organic methods, with the community; and have the support of volunteers to deliver a variety of seasonal vegetables to local people.
We aim to develop a vibrant food economy and expand local food production in our area of Deptford, London SE8.
Garden Volunteers
Mental and physical health and well being
We are making a link between Home Life and our Community Garden, with a 'Green Medicine' offer for better mental and physical health and well being:
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Plant and Grow - working together to maintain and plant flowers, herbs and vegetables
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Fresh Food Preserves - our locally grown fresh food preserved, using collective international experience and knowledge for a Recipe Book developed by local people
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Hydroponic growing - experimenting and innovating new methods of growing just with water to give larger crops in small spaces
Events & Workshops
Big Tree Plant 2012/2015
Following in our namesakes footsteps - John Evelyn - we planted 200 trees under the National Big Tree Plant, with a 'Pepys Community Orchard' of new trees, of mainly of fruit bearing varieties, in different parts of LB Lewisham.
Planted sites are: Pepys estate, Deptford; Longton Nursery, Sydenham; Magnolia Garden, Evelyn Street, Deptford.