Blackfriars Garden attractive hideaway nestled by Thames

London Frre Press Sat, August 30, 2008

By JENNI DUNNING Blackfriars Garden is a place for stories. Among the blue morning glories, ripe red tomatoes and tall stalks of sunflowers, friends gather to garden. Nestled at the end of St. Patrick Street in central London, it's an attractive hideaway -- and one of the only community gardens along the Thames River. The nearby riverside pathway, just east of the garden, is a gateway for people to stop and share stories. They're attracted by the 21 plots of rhubarb, corn, raspberries and flowers of bright pinks, oranges and purples. Click here to find out more! "Part of the thing about gardening is that people will stop and tell you what used to be there," said gardener Robyn Harvey. For the regulars, these visits are a lesson in the history of London and the Thames. The stories vary from a grandmother's jam made from homegrown berries, to an old mill near the river, to victory gardens grown in London during the Second World War, said Harvey. Or sometimes, people just stop to write or take photos, he said. The gardeners also hold an open mic concert Wednesday nights at the garden. Blackfriars started in 1997 through the city's community gardens project. It's an effort to provide land at a low cost to those without sun-kissed backyards or to people who want to grow their own food. There are 20 similar gardens, with about 300 participants, scattered around the city. But there are only two next to the Thames -- Blackfriars and one across the river on Ann Street, which began a couple years ago. Having these gardens next to the river is a major drawing point and plots fill up quickly, said Mary Yanful, the project's co-ordinator. Land for the plots is chosen by the need for a garden in the area -- having the river nearby was just luck, she said. "It's a bonus. It makes (the area) beautiful." Some gardeners feel the same way about the closeness of the river to the gardens. "They're certainly the most beautiful gardens by far and I think (the river's) a factor," Harvey said. Toads and great blue herons can be spotted from the garden and migrating birds following the Thames appear in the fall, he said. The sound of water rushing over rocks drowns out nearby traffic, added Christine Kelsey, who gardens at Blackfriars. "It feels like we live out in the country. You forget that the city is there. The river was the draw and the garden was the icing on the cake."