What if we de-paved our front gardens?

In this episode, London National Park City Ranger Nancy Turner shares the story of how Heston Action Group grew from simple litter picks into a thriving community garden and a wider movement to “green the grey”.Nancy talks about:How the group started, and how volunteering on Sunday mornings helped shape the spaceThe reality of community gardening, big jobs, limited hands, and learning as you goA sustainable drainage planting scheme, and the joy of seeing it thriveNancy’s Ranger project, Pocket Gardens, turning depaved pavement patches into mini habitatsHow the London National Park City show garden at RHS Hampton Court helped unlock donated plants for local greeningA small grant supporting edging, signage and explaining the “why” behind the pocket gardensThe missed opportunities when pavements get fully tarmacked instead of leaving verges or tree pitsThe bigger challenge of front gardens being paved over, and the need for a proper local campaignSkills sharing, training, and workshops that helped build confidence (plus the eternal regret of not taking better notes!)New infrastructure on site, including a gazebo and compost toilet, opening the door to longer sessions and more community eventsAmbitions for film nights, workshops, more partner organisations using the space, and welcoming school visits backExplore more London National Park City Podcasts