Aubrey Road

Apart from one large bed at the Church Hill end, magnificently cared for by a resident of Kevan Court, Aubrey Road mostly comprises small, difficult planting spaces in which only the most determined plants survive. Our beds are popular with a local vodka aficionado who deposits his empty bottle in amongst the plants daily. As the street is very narrow, some of the beds are regularly driven over by large vehicles too. Now and again foxes and people rampage through the beds, which can be very disheartening.

The planting is a reflection of the different personalities of the gardeners – spot the differences! Some are very low maintenance, all perennials such as salvia, hollyhocks and orange poppies. Others include more bedding plants and annuals grown from seed, such as nasturtium.

Our greatest challenge, other than the vodka bottles and lorries, is watering, so we prioritise plants which are pretty tolerant of dry conditions.

Our philosophy in Aubrey Road is, if you want to do a bit of gardening, go ahead and do it. We have very few organised work sessions but it’s great to make a communal effort now and again.