We are telling inspiring stories of the people and communities who are creating and nurturing healthy, balanced and environmentally friendly urban spaces in cities. Here we speak with Beatrice Dandy (Community Engagement Officer & Horticulture Lead) and Ellen Bidulka (Biodiversity Lead) from Energy Garden, a community benefit society creating a network of urban gardens in rather unconventional spaces like Brondesbury Park Railway Station and 20 others across London.
Brondesbury Park Energy Garden has a Tranquil City Index score of 85%, meaning that there is a high presence of greenery, low air pollution and noise levels. This contrasts with some areas in the locality (like the main high-street) which only score 45%! As a result, the space provides significant opportunities for commuters getting on and off the station, local volunteers and TfL staff to engage with urban green spaces. Scientific research shows that experiencing nature supports mood, stress recovery, physical activity, social interaction, and connection to place and the wider natural world; all outcomes that increase human wellbeing and support good health (Gascon et al., 2015).
The index considers data such as noise pollution, traffic, air quality and access to nature and weights them based on their ability to have a restorative effect. Spaces that score highly have the potential to be opened up by the community to provide people with restful areas to connect with nature in the heart of the city.
The humble beginnings of the Brondesbury Park Energy Garden
Energy Garden aims to inspire diverse urban communities to create and look after their own local green spaces. The Brondesbury Park Energy Garden became the first of 20 sustainability hubs on London track side space in 2012. This garden is now co-managed with 50 local volunteers. Speaking with Ellen, we marvelled over the interesting beginnings of the garden. “Our Founder and CEO, Agamemnon Otero, used to live in the area on a street bordering the station. Noticing a lot of neglected and bramble-covered trackside land at the station, he spoke to a number of local residents and TfL staff about the possibility of creating an inclusive garden on the train station”. Beatrice reflected that Brondesbury Park Energy Garden used to be 40 m2 with a beehive; since then the site has grown going through so many evolutions…!”.
Evolving community uses
The now 700 m2 garden offers a diverse range of exciting community uses. With its long track side orientation, Ellen said “the space has a good layout for gardening, with a number of benches and a little table”. Ellen continued “beyond gardening, its layout (with extremely wide platforms next to the site) allows us to host larger, specialised events”. Every year in October, Energy Garden runs a Harvest Party inviting local residents, commuters and TFL staff to try some of the garden’s bountiful fruits, vegetables and wild herbs. Annually the Energy Garden team invites local volunteers to pick hops to make beer. On education, the organisation has a dedicated officer running programmes across all the gardens including a significant outreach and horticultural training at local schools in the Brondesbury Park area. Bioblitz citizen science events are also facilitated on a regular basis, involving the local community in monitoring plant and animal biodiversity levels. Beatrice was delighted to highlight “Brondesbury Park Garden is one of our core gardens as it falls into multiple categories of use – it’s used for food growing, it provides a planter aesthetic (amongst the grey concrete environment of the railway station) and it offers a haven for biodiversity and wildlife”.
Co-managing the garden with diverse local residents
With four full time engagement officers, communities are integrated into otherwise closed off spaces by Energy Garden. At the Brondesbury Park Energy Garden, Beatrice and Ellen co-manage the site with 50 local volunteers, of all ages and with extremely diverse interests – from gardening to bee-keeping. The site is highly accessible for people working from home, with a few volunteers reporting that they use it to relax from work. Scientific research by Sianoja et al. (2017) shows that people enjoy spending time in nature during the workday (e.g., a lunchtime park visit) and that this results in increased concentration and reduced fatigue on returning to work.
Unique challenges of operating in a railway station
In our conversations, we also dwelled on a few challenges of running the garden. Considering the dynamic soundscape, “Brondesbury Park Energy Garden is in a relatively high traffic space, with frequent freight and passenger trains”, Beatrice and Ellen told me. “At the same time, it’s a great space as a lot of people go past and encounter it….! This space and others are chosen as they are highly accessible and visible”. They continued “from the 49% of passengers, whom are black Asian or ethnic monitories to the 40% whom are under the age of 20 years old, these spaces mirror London’s demographic and are meant to be beacons of sustainability to all, regardless of race, class, or socio economic background”.
We also reflected on accessibility, with some TFL Overground Stations having no lift but only stair access. Ellen further expressed that it can be difficult bringing down heavy materials (i.e. bags of soil) for permaculture activities with local volunteers. Cleverly, the site has evolved to be as self-sufficient as possible, with water butts in the back half collecting water from the station roof. The garden also has its own established composting system and is supported by solar energy.
Illuminating other challenges, the formal train station environment can sometimes cause commuters to hesitate as to whether they can freely enter and stroll around the garden space. Counteracting this, the Energy Garden team has developed fun and quirky sign-posting to indicate opening hours and entice participation in its frequent and diverse volunteer activities.
Exciting developments and useful tips for other urban gardening projects and networks
The Brondesbury Park Energy Garden has a very exciting future. Evoking curiosity, Beatrice and Ellen mentioned that there are some legacy parts of the garden from 8 years ago – for example, the team recently uncovered a small orchard and a natural spring that feeds wildlife from November to May. On top of this, volunteers bring a wide range of interests and desires (i.e. the creation of a herbal tea section to slow worm colonies and bee-keeping areas), with the Engagement Officer supporting the integration of new uses.
Reflecting on useful tips for others trying to implement their own urban greening interventions, they both colourfully enthused “follow what is exciting to you, and that will attract others. There is a volunteer, who is very enticed by the idea of using the Brondesbury Park Energy Garden for natural dyeing !”. Additionally, they recommended building a good rapport with landowners and staff at the intervention site, and keeping tabs of changing management structures and staff positions.
Wrapping up on long term aspirations, Beatrice told me “we aim to make our sites as biodiversity friendly as possible, striking a balance between wildflower spaces, fruit and vegetable beds”. As of July 2024, the Energy Garden has 21 community gardens established across London’s railway stations. The team’s newest garden in Hatton Cross displays an array of features, intertwined with Brutalist architecture and public art. Ellen poignantly said “we live in a big city, where most flats don’t have a garden. It’s important to try and be in a green space where you can take a momentary break from what’s happening in your life and connect with others in new and unanticipated ways”.
The Brondesbury Park Energy Garden runs a volunteer gardening group (free and open to all) on Tuesdays 16:30-18:00 and Fridays 12:30-14:30 every week and can be found at Brondesbury Park Road, Brondesbury, Greater London, NW6 6RP, inside Brondesbury Park Overground Station. Sign up via the Join a Garden Group link on the Energy Garden home page or email Beatrice Dandy beatrice@energygarden.org.uk to get involved. To view full list of the Energy Garden and find out volunteer session times check out link https://www.energygarden.org.uk/volunteer-community-garden
If you are part of a tranquil space in your neighbourhood, please get in touch with us via our contact form so we can feature your #TranquilStories in our next feature! Alternatively, if you’d like support to help revitalise a space, please do get in contact too.
Author(s): Chloe McFarlane
Engagement Lead
