What
Each year, the Chelsea Flower Show dazzles thousands of visitors with extraordinary displays. Yet once the spotlight faded, many of these perfectly healthy plants faced being sent to landfill. Thanks to Wayward Plants, which collects and redistributes unwanted plants annually from Chelsea and other flower festivals, these plants now find a loving new home in schools, communities and charity projects across the country. This year a diverse haul including gorgeously pungent rosemary bushes, architectural ferns, vibrant lupins and several varieties of pond plants were rescued and donated to Natural Neighbours. Collected from Wayward’s new HQ in north London and brought to Hackney by Natural Neighbours, the plants became the foundations of this habitat hotspot, ready to enrich both the local community and urban wildlife.
Where
Natural Neighbours delivered the rescued plants to Hackney Marsh Adventure Playground, where staff, volunteers, and children worked side by side to get them into the ground. Together, they transformed a previously underused patch into a leafy, multi-layered green space. Children can now brush past fragrant rosemary, spot insects on the lupins, and enjoy the bustle of life around the pond plants. This once ramshackle corner of the playground, dominated by dilapidated raised beds, has come alive with colour, texture, and possibility.
Why
Access to nature is not a luxury but a necessity—especially in cities where many live nature-deprived lives. By creating this habitat hotspot, Natural Neighbours and the Adventure Playground staff and community are nurturing local wildlife and giving children daily encounters with the natural world. It shows how green spaces, even small ones, can bring people and wildlife together under the shared banner of flourishing nature.
What Achieved
Thanks to Wayward Plants this corner of the playground now pulses with even more life. We hope and expect that this is just the beginning of an ongoing and enduring transformation. Next year the children will be supported by Natural Neighbours, the staff and a special guest list of expert speakers and teachers to extend the magic across more of the north end of the playground to create a sensory garden to delight people inside and outside the fence. Watch this space!
