Open Garden Squares Weekend.

I visited a few urban gardens that were open as part of the annual Open Garden Squares Weekend. I went over to Kings Cross, for the Skip garden a mobile garden on the
re -development sites around Kings Cross.

  I hadn't been over there for a long time, and the changes around St Pancras and Kings Cross Station are enormous. Still lots of building sites, but clearance around the canal and new buildings too.Apparantly is the second biggest building site after the Olympic park.

I loved the idea of using skips as gardens and on their site there are skips growing a variety of vegetables and a recently planted herb garden in a skip. There are also polytunnels and an office/workspace.

The site is managed by Global Generation, with local volunteers, many of which have no access to a garden themselves. Info abou The Skip garden here

I then went to the Fann Street garden, which is on the Barbican estate and open to the residents. It's a project of the Barbican Wildlife Group. Info here

It's such a delight to turn off the busy road and find that there is a beautiful wildflower meadow in the centre of the garden, looking all the more unusual surrounded by the iconic, tall Barbican buildings.

There is also a cottage garden and pond and natural species attract birds and insects. The boundaries are planted with native trees including holly, beech, blackthorn and hazel.

The last garden I visited was The Dalston Eastern Curve Garden, which is on the site of the old railway line opposite the new Dalston Junction station. info here

I loved the mixture of street art and garden on the site. There are pieces by Stik more of his work here
And childrens pieces including scarcrows decorate the space and walls.

 The new tall blocks of flats overlook the garden and residents with out gardens have been regular visitors.. There are spaces for holding workshops and meetings and cooking is one activity that's proved very popular. A team of volunteers keeps the garden running and developing.