The Story Garden is moving … not closing

We always knew the day would come where we would need to move from our current location, and now after 6 beautiful years, that day is approaching. Our last day will be on Saturday 27 September, and leading up to this, we have a calendar packed full of activities, celebrations and community gatherings. Join us at one of the many events we have coming up over the next months! Some highlights include  ‘Grow Where You’re Planted: A Community Festival’ on Saturday 28 June,  ‘Build Fest’ on Saturday 19 July and the ‘Story Garden’s 6th Birthday and Farewell Party’ on Tuesday 22 July.

These gatherings and rituals to say farewell feel important for us to acknowledge, remember and take with us in our hearts the friendships made, the plants grown, the stories and the food shared in this particular location, a 1 acre site in the heart of Somers Town with our entrance facing towards our community and with the British Library, Francis Crick Institute and St Pancras station surrounding us on all other sides. Quite an unusual space for a non-tidy community garden where we tell stories around fires, and one that we will cherish forever.

Photo Credit: Natalia Roza

Six years ago when we were handed the keys to the site, there was nothing but rubble, a harsh lifeless and contaminated piece of land that had only seen portacabins on it as part of the build of the Francis Crick. I remember thinking for a moment ‘how will we breathe life into this, how will nature ever thrive here?’ That moment of hesitation did not last long and disappeared all together as soon as we started to build the garden.

From the get go, people of all ages were involved; 5 year olds using power tools to make planters, benches and tables; volunteers moving soil into the planters; families sowing seeds and young people creating signs and stories to bring to life their voices and experiences in the garden. We were building a ‘garden of a thousand hands’ together, and have continued to do this over the years, never looking for perfection, never striving for a finished site, but rather responding to opportunities to keep the fire of the garden alive through new partnerships, new passions and new interests brought in by local young people and residents.

And of course the garden also did its own thing. We covered the rubble with many tons of woodchip donated from local tree surgeons. Some plants we planted, but it did not take long for the wildflowers, grasses and mediterranean herbs to grow around the edges of the planters covering the woodchip in greens and colourful flowers, showing us how quickly plants can cover barren landscapes when left. This continues to be one of the things that brings me the most hope in the face of the climate and biodiversity crisis we’re facing. We do not need to fix the Earth, we need to listen to the Earth.

We are sad to be saying goodbye, but we also find joy in the knowledge that the Story Garden is not closing, it is just moving. The invisible stories, laughter, and memories will be coming with us as will some of the more visible items such as plants, soil and structures; and of course most importantly the children, young people, families and residents. From October we will be moving to a new location, currently referred to as the Triangle Site, only a 15 mins walk away, just on the other side of King’s Cross. The new space will continue to be called the Story Garden, it will continue to be an oasis for people and plants to grow and to connect in the middle of the city, for many many years to come … for 999 years actually to be precise.

Over the past year, we have been busy over at the Triangle site … 700 people have participated already (and more every day) in community build activities such as cob making for the classroom wall, brick making for the office, shake making and green woodworking for the kitchen’s sweet chestnut cladding and willow weaving for the fencing; local schools and community groups have been part of the build developing a relationship and ownership of the new space; and 8 young people (8 more coming up) have gained new skills and experiences in natural and heritage build techniques through our paid traineeship programme and are now in paid employment. The co-creation of the buildings and the garden will continue over the coming months with lots of opportunities for everyone to get involved, with the next Community Build Day on Saturday 28 June.

And what of our work in Somers Town? This too will continue. Trees, shrubs, smaller plants, planters, seeds, the roundhouse and other structures from the Story Garden will be reassembled in Somers Town, as well as other nearby community gardens and green spaces, ensuring that all that has been created has a longer legacy. We will also continue to have a small team based in Somers Town to support residents with greening their neighbourhood. And eventually, after the long construction period of the extension of the British Library, there will be a permanent community garden in this location. It will be smaller and it will look different but it will be there for generations to come, a place to grow roots. There will be opportunities to be involved in the co-design and creation of this space over the coming years.

Though change is on the horizon and with change we can feel unrooted and unsure, I am inspired by Octavia Butler’s words: “All that you touch You Change. All that you Change Changes you. The only lasting truth is Change.” Somehow, being reminded that everything is constantly changing inside and outside of ourselves, helps me feel more grounded in these moments of transition, and I look forward to this upcoming move with all those who have been part of the journey so far and all those that will be in the future.

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Notes from the Garden