The hidden garden in the heart of London where you can bring your own plants

Once an overlooked alleyway, there is a ‘hidden garden’ right in the heart of central London which is definitely worth a visit. Gibbon’s Rent has been transformed into a container garden where local people bring their own plants.

The garden can be found in a small cut-through between Magdalen Street and Holyrood Street next to London Bridge. There’s a wide range of plants in the garden - including exotic and domestic species.

Gibbon’s Rent is a community space, with local residents and businesses being actively encouraged to bring their own plants. The garden is even watered using rainwater harvested from the site.

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Locals are also given advice on where it is best to put their plants for their sunlight requirements. There are chairs and benches throughout the garden, where you can often find people sitting reading or listening to music.

Established in 2012, Gibbon’s Rent was designed by Australian architect Andrew Burns and British landscape architect Sarah Eberle, in collaboration with The Architecture Foundation, Team London Bridge and Southwark Council.

The area was recognised in the 2017 Britain in Bloom awards, in which Team London Bridge won the business improvement district category. Judges recognised the alley as being ‘superb’ in their comments.

"The project aims to raise awareness of this forgotten piece of Southwark and to contribute to the longer-term social and economic improvement of the area," says Team London Bridge.

"It looks to actively encourage community participation asking local businesses and residents to contribute potted plants to the garden allowing it to grow and evolve, taking on a life of its own past its launch in summer 2012."

But you can find more than just plants in this hidden away garden. One of its most interesting features is the its ‘little library’.

The library is an area where visitors to the garden can both borrow and donate books. This is a feature often seen in more rural parts of the UK, being less common in London.

One reviewer posted to TripAdvisor: “Hidden between the buildings in a previously ignored cut-through, this quiet little greenway is worth visiting for a small time out from the noisier main roads.

“Southwark Council looks after it well, and we even found a little free library in there!”

Got a story? Please get in touch at katherine.gray@reachplc.com

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