Then and now
Car park, wasteland, garden
In the 1950s the island was a car park. Nature reclaimed it, growing through the cracks in the asphalt until it had taken over. Effective, but not pretty. The project replaces that with a perennial garden that can look after itself.
The site
Not the ideal place to start a garden
- Sun
- Full sun all day
- Soil
- Poor and stony
- Wind
- Open on every side, strong gusts
- Water
- No connection on the island
- Traffic
- Seen from every side, plenty of dogs
Grasses and tough perennials face the street; the more delicate planting sits inside, where nobody walks through.
The approach
Four ideas behind every plant choice
Benign neglectDesign as if nobody will look after it. Plants that stay put, stay out of the road, dig up easily and need little care or water.
Natural gardeningPlant for the conditions that exist instead of irrigating to suit the plants.
Neighbourhood regreeningSelf-seeders and easy dividers, passed on so neighbours can start their own small islands with plants proven here.
JoyThe best reason to do it. Bees, butterflies and birds, and a rare chance for city people to get their hands in the soil.
Water without a tap
Getting water to the roots, slowly
Deep pipesPVC pipes sunk with an auger take water straight down to the roots.
OllasBuried terracotta pots seep water into the soil around them.
500 LA rain barrel buried on the island, to be fitted with a hand pump anyone can use.
The garden
First seasons
Photo to come
Photo to come
Photo to come
The plan
From experiment to a garden that runs itself
Phase 1Experiment2022–2026
Phase 2 · nowPlan and prepareAutumn 2026, spring 2027
Phase 3Enjoy and learnSummer 2027
Phase 4Adjust and improveAutumn 2027
Ten beds now run round the island, each with its own character, from a cottage-garden corner to a Mediterranean strip by the bus stop. Neighbours help with cash, plants from a wish list, soil, mulch and work days organised in a WhatsApp group. Finishing the beds takes about 2,500 litres of soil and 1,000 of mulch.