Events and training from our network
Gardening for Wildlife
Walworth Garden, 206 Manor Place. SE173BN
15 Jun 2025 | Training | Grow Urban Festival event, 7–15 June
Explore the role gardeners can play in enhancing the miraculous relationship between the plants and animals in our spaces. You will gain insight into simple, achievable actions that can help you encourage wildlife in your garden and learn to adopt a more relaxed attitude to the way you manage your space. Alongside practical demonstrations of our own radical ‘nature-first’ approach, we aim to discuss current trends in sustainable gardening, with a critical approach. Use code GUF15 for 15% of
Explore the role gardeners can play in enhancing the miraculous relationship between the plants and animals in our spaces. You will gain insight into simple, achievable actions that can help you encourage wildlife in your garden and learn to adopt a more relaxed attitude to the way you manage your space. Alongside practical demonstrations of our own radical ‘nature-first’ approach, we aim to discuss current trends in sustainable gardening, with a critical approach. Use code GUF15 for 15% of
Book 
Container Growing
Hackney School of Food, Oswald Street, E5 0BT
15 Jun 2025 | Accredited training | Grow Urban Festival event, 7–15 June
We love the versatility of using containers to grow food crops and herbs – they require fewer tools, use space cleverly, yielding great results and far fewer weeds to deal with! Container growing is ideal for anyone without a large outdoor space, whether you’ve got a windowsill, balcony, or patio.
In this workshop, we’ll share our favourite methods, tips, and tricks for successful container growing – so you can still enjoy the magic of homegrown food, no matter what space you're worki
We love the versatility of using containers to grow food crops and herbs – they require fewer tools, use space cleverly, yielding great results and far fewer weeds to deal with! Container growing is ideal for anyone without a large outdoor space, whether you’ve got a windowsill, balcony, or patio.
In this workshop, we’ll share our favourite methods, tips, and tricks for successful container growing – so you can still enjoy the magic of homegrown food, no matter what space you're worki
Book 
Newham Garden Party
The UP Garden, Eric Close laundry yard, E7 0AY
15 Jun 2025 | Event | Grow Urban Festival event, 7–15 June
The council is hosting an event featuring entertainment, nature activities and refreshments to celebrate 60 years of the borough. Explore The UP Garden, see how we have transformed an abandoned council yard into a community garden, and see lots of edible plant growing (including our micro-allotment scheme).
The council is hosting an event featuring entertainment, nature activities and refreshments to celebrate 60 years of the borough. Explore The UP Garden, see how we have transformed an abandoned council yard into a community garden, and see lots of edible plant growing (including our micro-allotment scheme).
Mushroom Cultivation Workshop - from Spore to Mushroom
The Remakery, 51 Lilford Road, London, SE5 9HY
21 Jun 2025 | Accredited training
Learn how to grow mushrooms from spores with Adi on Saturday, 21st of June from 13:00 - 16:30.
Do you want to learn how to start growing specialty and medicinal mushrooms? Besides engaging with fascinating facts about mushrooms and fungi, you'll have hands-on fun by creating your own grain spawn that you can then take home to grow Oyster mushrooms. You will be able to learn how to work in a mycology lab to create cultures from spores or clones and learn about how to produce grain spawn.
Learn how to grow mushrooms from spores with Adi on Saturday, 21st of June from 13:00 - 16:30.
Do you want to learn how to start growing specialty and medicinal mushrooms? Besides engaging with fascinating facts about mushrooms and fungi, you'll have hands-on fun by creating your own grain spawn that you can then take home to grow Oyster mushrooms. You will be able to learn how to work in a mycology lab to create cultures from spores or clones and learn about how to produce grain spawn.
Book
Summer prune your currants half-day workshop
Carshalton Community Allotment, Colston Avenue, Carshalton SM5 3NX
28 Jun 2025 | Accredited training | Grow Urban Festival event, 7–15 June
Summer pruning rewards your efforts with healthier, more productive currant bushes that give better quality fruit without using up too much of the plant’s resources. Mid-summer is the ideal time to do your summer pruning, and our short, practical workshop will give you the skills and confidence you need to tackle your own fruit garden.
Summer pruning rewards your efforts with healthier, more productive currant bushes that give better quality fruit without using up too much of the plant’s resources. Mid-summer is the ideal time to do your summer pruning, and our short, practical workshop will give you the skills and confidence you need to tackle your own fruit garden.
Book 
Botany in a Day
Walworth Garden, 206 Manor Place. SE173BN
29 Jun 2025 | Training
New gardeners often ask, what is botany? How is it different from horticulture?
Botany simply refers to the ‘study of’ plants, where horticulture focuses on the ‘practice of’ managing and maintaining plants. In this discussion-based session, we will be exploring the theory and science of plants, and learning ten basic rules of botany which will change not only the way you look at your own plants, but how you view the entire natural world around you. Open to all skill and knowledge level
New gardeners often ask, what is botany? How is it different from horticulture?
Botany simply refers to the ‘study of’ plants, where horticulture focuses on the ‘practice of’ managing and maintaining plants. In this discussion-based session, we will be exploring the theory and science of plants, and learning ten basic rules of botany which will change not only the way you look at your own plants, but how you view the entire natural world around you. Open to all skill and knowledge level
Book
8 Week Food Growing Programme with Coco Collective
Ital Community Garden, The black gate next to 75 Firhill Rd, Bellingham SE6 3SE
2 Jul 2025 | Accredited training
Rooted in traditional growing practices, the course blends practical horticulture skills with a deep spiritual connection to the land. Participants will learn about climate, community and food justice, healing through cultivation and will leave with a deeper sense of identity, purpose and connection to the land and each other.
🌍 Open to all, with priority given to Afrikan-diaspora and Global Majority communities
🎟 Sliding scale fees from FREE to £200
Rooted in traditional growing practices, the course blends practical horticulture skills with a deep spiritual connection to the land. Participants will learn about climate, community and food justice, healing through cultivation and will leave with a deeper sense of identity, purpose and connection to the land and each other.
🌍 Open to all, with priority given to Afrikan-diaspora and Global Majority communities
🎟 Sliding scale fees from FREE to £200
Book
Learning to Bud Graft Fruit Trees
Walworth Garden, 206 Manor Place. SE173BN
5 Jul 2025 | Accredited training
Bud-grafting is something that few amateur gardeners seem to attempt, yet the principle is relatively simple. Like many things, it just takes practice and understanding of the theory behind the magic! Learn how to propagate apple and pear fruit trees by bud grafting in this practical workshop and leave with your own bud grafted tree.
Suitable for those who have some basic gardening knowledge and experience.
Bud-grafting is something that few amateur gardeners seem to attempt, yet the principle is relatively simple. Like many things, it just takes practice and understanding of the theory behind the magic! Learn how to propagate apple and pear fruit trees by bud grafting in this practical workshop and leave with your own bud grafted tree.
Suitable for those who have some basic gardening knowledge and experience.
Book
Introduction to Gardening
Walworth Garden, 206 Manor Place. SE173BN
12 Jul 2025 | Training
We'll guide you through the approaches and essential knowledge that will help you to become a successful gardener. This is the first session we recommend to all with little or no gardening experience, and especially those hoping to begin gardening at home. Join us in our award-winning and sumptuously-planted garden for this primary insight into the fundamentals of sustainable and future-facing gardening. We also allow (and encourage!) plenty of time for questions, and welcome discussion.
We'll guide you through the approaches and essential knowledge that will help you to become a successful gardener. This is the first session we recommend to all with little or no gardening experience, and especially those hoping to begin gardening at home. Join us in our award-winning and sumptuously-planted garden for this primary insight into the fundamentals of sustainable and future-facing gardening. We also allow (and encourage!) plenty of time for questions, and welcome discussion.
Book
Wildlife Pond Making
Walworth Garden, 206 Manor Place. SE173BN
19 Jul 2025 | Accredited training
One of the most effective things you can do for a garden’s ecosystem is create a wildlife pond, and we believe every garden should have one, no matter how small. It can be as simple or as elaborate as you like, and the rewards are endless. During this session you’ll learn how to create and maintain a wildlife pond for even the smallest of spaces, from something as simple as a bucket, to the benefit of your garden and local wildlife. Use code GUF15 for 15% off.
One of the most effective things you can do for a garden’s ecosystem is create a wildlife pond, and we believe every garden should have one, no matter how small. It can be as simple or as elaborate as you like, and the rewards are endless. During this session you’ll learn how to create and maintain a wildlife pond for even the smallest of spaces, from something as simple as a bucket, to the benefit of your garden and local wildlife. Use code GUF15 for 15% off.
Book
