Volunteer and visit us
Come to our Open Garden, or volunteer with us, 10am – 4pm, every Tuesday, and on the third Saturday every month. Walk in our woodland and enjoy tea and biscuits in the garden. Families welcome. Just drop in.
Open Days and Volunteer Gardening sessions:
Tuesday 1 July – Open Garden and Volunteer Gardening – 10am – 4pm
Tuesday 8 July – Open Garden and Volunteer Gardening – 10am – 4pm
Tuesday 15 July – Open Garden and Volunteer Gardening – 10am – 4pm
Saturday 19 July – Open Garden and Volunteer Gardening – 10am – 4pm
Tuesday 22 July – Open Garden and Volunteer Gardening – 10am – 4pm
The garden house is available to book for parties and meetings
New memberships are available for the year ending 31st August 2025
A two-acre oasis of greenery in Islington, north London.
Over time, a herbaceous garden, an orchard, a small wildflower meadow, a wildlife pond, extensive vegetable terraces and an acre of woodland have all emerged from a railway embankment.
Under an agreement with Islington Council which owns the land, the volunteer-run Charity – Olden Community Garden – maintains the garden, with the object to promote a community garden for the benefit of people living or working in the London Borough of Islington. Olden Garden gives local people opportunities for education and recreation, with the aim of increasing involvement in the community and reducing isolation.
A self-sustaining garden
We use harvested water, we compost all the green waste and create wildlife habitats from woody debris. We promote biodiversity throughout the garden and woodland.
Latest Posts
Olden Garden brings musical comedy to the Chelsea Fringe
In celebration of the Chelsea Fringe 2021, we filmed two special musical events in Olden Garden. ‘Air on a G-string’ is a musical comedy, with a rap celebrating the Chelsea Fringe, played by Kate Shortt on her cello in our garden and greenhouse and in front of the graffiti. ‘The Swan’ is a beautiful cello solo from ‘Carnival of the Animals’ and also played by Kate Shortt. These online events continue our tradition of marking the Chelsea Fringe with a musical celebration.
Volunteer Workday on Saturday 15 May
Come along to our Workday, meet others and learn about the Garden. Bring your own gloves and face covering (just in case) and a towel if you wish to wash your hands. Remember to wear appropriate footwear.
Our Gardener Laura leaves us this month
Our part-time gardener, Laura, has guided the development of Olden Garden during the last 10 years. At a small gathering last week, over a socially distanced cup of coffee and home-made cake, we thanked Laura for her involvement and commitment to the Garden. Laura plans to focus on her garden design business. We are sorry to see her go.
At our Workday on Saturday volunteers pruned climbers and created a hedge
We pruned clematis, wisteria and jasmine. We stemmed the tide of the three-cornered leek and created a cornus hedge from saplings donated by the Woodland Trust via the Mayor’s initiative. And we gave the Garden House a spring clean!
With thanks for our grants from
Awarded National Lottery Funding
Developed in 1986 by Patricia
Tawn and supported by Islington Council