Volunteer and visit us
NOTE: Our Open Garden and volunteer gardening will be taking a break during December and January, resuming on Tuesday 4 February.
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.
Tuesday 4 February – Open Garden and Volunteer Gardening – 10am – 4pm
Tuesday 11 February – Open Garden and Volunteer Gardening – 10am – 4pm
Saturday 15 February – Open Garden and Volunteer Gardening – 10am – 4pm
Tuesday 18 February – 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 pond, a series of vegetable terraces, a small meadow 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 area, 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. There is a fruitful orchard and a flourishing vegetable garden.
Latest Posts
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!
Return of the light – A walk round the Olden Garden in early spring
Read the London Gardens Trust Blog by Catherine Miller, professional gardener and community garden expert
With thanks for our grants from
Awarded National Lottery Funding
Developed in 1986 by Patricia
Tawn and supported by Islington Council