December News from the Garden
As 2025 draws to a close, we're celebrating a fantastic year in SJG with three special gatherings over the coming days:
1. Planting a Winter Garden: Community Gardening is this Saturday 6th December, 10am-noon. There'll be hot chocolate, pastries, wafting scents and winter blooms as we plant winter-blooming species such as sweet box, winter jasmine and cyclamen together.
2. Spinning like Snowflakes: The Children's Christmas Adventure Trail is this Sunday, 7th December 2.30pm-3.30pm. This is a drop in event with festive treats and a fun Christmas trail around the garden helping Santa find his missing reindeer. Wrap up warm and burn off some winter energy! More details are on the website here.
3. Singing Christmas Carols: This year's Winter Gathering is on Wednesday 10th December 5pm-5.45pm. The brass trio will play their favourite wintery tunes, there'll be fairy lights, carol singing, children's performances and mulled apple juice to keep us warm. The programme & song sheet is attached to this mail and sleigh bells will be provided on the night.
Everyone is welcome, no sign-up required for any of these events and further details are on the flyers attached and on the website here. It'll be lovely to catch up with friends and neighbours old and new. There's no cost for any of the activities or refreshments, which are very kindly provided by volunteers, but if you would like to support the flourishing of St John's Garden in 2026 and contribute to the winter garden project there's a DONATION LINK at the bottom of the newsletter and all donations will be used to get more winter blooms into St John's Garden this Christmas.
GOLD IN THE COLD: What a year it's been...a tasty new edible forest, gorgeous new website, new birds and insects spotted in the garden and lots of new volunteers and friends! The icing on the cake was finding out we've been awarded GOLD for LONDON in BLOOM 2025 - a first for SJG and a testament to the work of the many people and organisations who have cared for the garden during 2025. I can't believe how the year has flown by, and how much the space has flourished over the last 12 months. As well as having a truly AMAZING team of garden volunteers, we're incredibly lucky to benefit from the expertise and enthusiastic support of many people and organisations, so a huge THANK YOU to Andrew, Eremira and the Islington Parks Service and to Groundwork London, Ginkgo gardeners, The Charterhouse, St John's Museum, Central District Alliance, GIGL, Pollinating London Together, Octopus Community Network, Queens College London, QMUL, London National Park City, Mildmay Food Project, The Orchard Project, AXA, Mace, LSEG, HFMC Wealth, Project7, The Friends of Graham Street, and so many Friends groups and community gardens across Islington and the City who have shared their expertise and experience with us in 2025. We're looking forward to working together with you all in 2026 .