Residents dig deep to create a blooming basement

Tower Hamlets Homes has teamed up with would-be gardeners from West India House, Poplar and Groundwork London to support their basement garden project – a scheme aimed at encouraging residents to grow their own fruit and vegetables.

The Blooming basement project, funded by the Big Lottery’s Well London Programme, was led by residents and Groundwork London as part of the Groundwork London’s Healthy Spaces project.

Residents approached Tower Hamlets Homes and asked if they could turn the little-used space, known as the basement, at the rear of the block into a community garden and we were only too glad to help out.

Residents, staff and volunteers from Groundwork London got to work and assembled 5 planters and moved 7 tonnes of soil in a single day to create the garden.

Nimish Shah from Groundwork London said “The project is a great example of residents working together to make things happen.

Although the garden has just been created, residents have already started growing tomatoes, apples and strawberries, which demonstrates the pleasure that residents get from growing their own food and a real sense of ownership.”

The residents have set up a gardening club to encourage more residents to get involved and start growing their own food.

Louise Joly, a community gardener from Lansbury Gardeners, teaches the residents how to grow and look after plants every Thursday afternoon.

Gavin Cansfield, Tower Hamlets Homes Chief Executive said “We’re really happy to be part of a project that improves the quality of life for residents and makes a difference to the local people that live there.”