Grow Community – Sopwell is a group helping local people grow their own food, celebrate and share food – and come together to build a stronger local community.

“Snip off a few of the outer leaves to take home – and the lettuce will keep growing for weeks more!”
May 23 – Salad leaves and spinach now ready to take home at the Berners Drive Community Garden


What do we do?
Grow Community – Sopwell are volunteers in Sopwell ward, St Albans, working for the benefit of Sopwell residents. We encourage and support local, sustainable food growing, help to connect communities, form friendships & boost biodiversity. You can find out what we’ve been up to over the past year by reading our Annual Report here.
Food Garden
We have established a community food garden at Berners Drive – come and see! We collect/share seeds locally for food growing, hold events, local get togethers, and more! We would love to see you . Come and pick up seedlings at our seed stall – get the newsletter or join our Facebook group



Interested in growing food?
Want to learn more, or help out? Come and join us at the Berners Drive Community Garden ‘working parties’. Suitable for absoute beginners, and experienced gardeners.
We have raised beds and low beds for growing veggies, herbs, herbal tea beds, fruit bushes, a wild area, and an area for children to play and explore, including a bug hotel.
Come to the garden!
We will be sowing, watering, weeding, digging, pruning and harvesting.
Guidance always available for people wanting to learn more. We are also learning as we grow! Just turn up at the dates/times on the poster.


Abbots Ave Planters
We wanted to cheer up the planters by the shops at Abbots Avenue. So, after getting permission, we cleared them out, tidied up the shrubs, planted extra herbs and leaves for picking and making tea, and also made a wildflower patch.
Help to water
Can you help? In the summer the planters always need water. If you are going that way please take a watering can, and give them a drink! Or just look around to see what’s growing.


Care about wildlife?
As well as the wildflower patch at the community garden in Berners Drive, we also have a small dedicated wildflower meadow and bug area in Martyr Close. Wildflower meadows encourage insects to help ‘pollinate’ and fertilise our food plants to make them successful!
We also want to encourage our natural wildlife such as bees, butterflies and other flying insects that pollinate such as wasps and hoverflies. We can’t wait to see a beautiful display of colourful wild flowers on that patch.
Community Events
We hold indoor and outdoor events for adults and children. You can help sow seeds or make wildflower seedbombs. Join our winter wreath-making workshop or online Food Garden events with local gardeners.


Birdboxes and seedcakes for birds
The Ver Valley Society partnered with us for an event making and painting loads of lovely bird boxes, which are now up around the area. Maybe you’ve seen one?
Newsletter
Join the Grow Community! It’s brilliant you’ve found us! To be the first to hear our news, or discover new events sign up to our mailing list to get the newsletter and updates.

- Spring Bank Holiday Pop-Up Seedling Stalls
- BERNERS DRIVE COMMUNITY GARDEN WORKING PARTY: THURS 25TH MAY. 10-11AM
- Afternoon sessions at Martyr Close mini-meadow start today. All welcome!
Help Grow Community – Sopwell run its projects and events by donating here:
Image credits: Unless otherwise stated, images are credited to Grow Community – Sopwell
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