Spending time in nature and having communal space to socialise is really important for our mental and physical health. That’s why it is great to hear that at Thornhill House in Barnsbury, the council have invested in the shared spaces to give residents better facilities. This work includes a new communal garden, a pergola, seating, bike storage and a pram shed. We hear from a group of keen growers who are making the most of their new garden space

Zak

I’ve lived here for 30 years, and for a long time I was putting my own pots out to plant flowers in. I’m part of the Thornhill House Residents’ Association, so I made contact with the council with ideas of how to improve the shared space here and we worked together on plans for the garden. I’m really into gardening for my mental health, mainly. It really, really helps my mental health.

No produce from any shop is ever going to taste as good as the produce that you pick from the garden – the cucumbers and tomatoes taste absolutely amazing. I always hated herbal tea and now all of a sudden because I’m making it from the garden, I’m drinking pots and pots of tea made from my own plants.

We’ve also got a new bike shed. Before, there were bikes chained up everywhere. We’ve always had one bike shed but there was a big waiting list for it. So now we’ve got more bike storage, we’ll be able to get the remaining bikes out of the garden.

Plus, there are new bins for recycling. It seems funny for me to say that the bins are beautiful, but they are! They’ve got little bird houses on the side and plants growing on top.

Utsha

I feel really lucky because I feel like not many other places in London are like this. It feels like you’re entering kind of a little garden haven.

We have folks that live on the blocks further from the garden still coming and engaging with it and sitting here and talking. Having the garden here has allowed loads of people to get to know each other better. I think that’s really nice.

Linda

I’ve lived here for over 40 years and I never wanted to come out because it was too dark. Too scary. It was overgrown. Not very pretty. Not very welcoming.

And then of course, the council came and cut back a lot of the bush and the scrub. It looks so much nicer, plus other people have planted their fruit and veg, and it looks beautiful.

I love it – it’s made a big difference to the way I feel.

Diane

I’m disabled, so if I didn’t have the garden, I would feel stuck inside all the time. It’s been great for meeting new people, and being more social, which is really good for my mental health.

I just think it’s great that you can grow your own produce. I’ve grown basil, tomatoes, and runner beans. They’ve all gone into my cooking, and everybody loves it. I give some out to neighbours as well.