Entering West Ham Park from the main entrance on Upton Lane, you pass a house on your right. Immediately after this is a path off to the right where you may notice a barred gate, set in a hedge. Beyond this is the West Ham Park Vegetable Garden, which is run by volunteers, with assistance, advice and guidance from the park staff.

The garden has been in operation since 2012 and, as its name suggests it is primarily concerned with growing fruit and vegetables, though the keen volunteers also grow flowers. This year they have a bed of edible flowers as a way of combining the two!

The group have some ten or so regular volunteers who usually come on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. There are always jobs to do; planting, harvesting, improving the soil, looking after the compost bins and when that’s done, there’s always some more weeding!

Gardeners have grown strawberries, gooseberries, raspberries, blueberries, beans of all kinds, peas, herbs, lettuce, tomatoes, carrots and potatoes along with other crops, all with great success. However, they are very open to suggestions for other, maybe more exotic, plants to try to grow.

Anyone interested in helping out with the garden, please contact Stella here, or drop in to one of their sessions from 10am on Tuesdays or 2pm on Wednesdays. Or why not drop in anyway and see how they are getting on!

Eugene Czauderna is a volunteer in West ham park vegetable garden

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