The Harmony Garden

Explore the Harmony Garden with us.

Hidden away in between Cheshunt buildings, the Harmony Garden is a refuge for the community. It may be hard to believe that a fly-tipped waste ground can now produce food for people to eat but, through regenerative practices, the space has been brought to life.

As the only publicly accessible permaculture community garden in Hertfordshire, the Harmony Garden was created by a partnership between B3Living and Wyld Edges and designed to bring people together through collaborative gardening.

Permaculture refers to developing agricultural ecosystems that are sustainable and self-sufficient. It is a natural design science that helps with the regeneration of landscapes and communities through a solutions-based approach.

The director of Wyld Edges, a blonde, white woman standing in the garden next to some tall sunflowers. The sun is shining on her, and behind here, there are a few houses

As the Harmony Garden was previously a dumping ground for batteries, chemicals and other pollutants, its contaminated soil proved to be a challenge for local volunteers. Through extensive research, testing and remediation strategies to remove lead from the soil, produce grown in the garden is now safe (and delicious) to eat.

A close up shot of a wooden sign with colourful writing that says 'Food Forest' and has a drawing of a strawberry next to the word 'Food'. In the background, there are green plants and some flowers.

The side of a garden. There are some tall sunflower plants on the right hand side close to the camera. Behind them, there is a fence and some houses. On the left side, a patch of grass is visible which goes to the back of the garden where there are some smaller plants and a blurry sign with an image.

Though food is a great advantage, people that visit and volunteer in the garden can also experience first-hand the mental wellbeing benefits of gardening. They have many opportunities to socialise, take part in activities such as arts and crafts and eat healthy food.

The garden is used by Social Prescribers and Mind for therapy sessions, as well as it being open for families to go along on a Saturday to have a hands-on experience.

You can find out more about Wyld Edges and the work they do at the Harmony Garden here.