Celebrate 21 years of Wanstead guerrilla gardeners

The Wanstead Community Gardeners – who adopt and care for otherwise unloved bits of greenery – are this weekend celebrating their 21st anniversary in an event at the Corner House where it all began.

The guerrillas issued a communiqué which said:

Great things often start with small actions. This particular small action happened on 3rd April 2003, when Marian Temple ran out of patience! The Corner House garden, on Wanstead High Street, was waist high in weeds and take away food rubbish. What could be a beautiful garden was just a wasteland.

With Council permission, a group of enthusiasts turned it into the garden that everybody loves today. That was the beginning. The community gardeners now care for approximately 40 sites around Wanstead, and it is one of the reasons that our village is so beloved by residents and visitors alike. Wanstead Community Gardeners formed the blueprint from which many other community garden groups have successfully developed.

This Sunday, 19th May, from 2pm onwards, the Wanstead Community Gardeners are celebrating their 21st year. They hope you can pop along to join them in the back garden of the Corner House, for tea, cake and a chat to the gardeners. There will be lots of photos to look at and there might even have a few plants for sale…

5 thoughts on “Celebrate 21 years of Wanstead guerrilla gardeners”

  1. Thank you for your fabulous efforts! You’ve absolutely transformed so many areas into a haven for wildlife and it’s beautiful to see on a daily basis

  2. Thank you so much for all your work. The gardens are colourful and bring joy to so many. We really enjoyed coming to your open day on Sunday and my husband particularly pleased withthe gluten free goodies available.

  3. Wonderful work. I particularly love the plot between the tube station and the redbridge roundabout – such a joy to see flowers blooming while waiting in the traffic. Thanks so much to Marian and everyone involved

  4. There is a garden in Wanstead that needs some tlc. It’s on the corner of Redbridge Lane West and Wigram Road. Fly tipping has spoiled this greenery.The garden waste and building blocks are hidden under the bushes opposite 84-90 RWL. The Council can’t find it! Epping Forest claim not to have jurisdiction for this garden! So who is going to remove the fly tip?

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