Edible Open Gardens Weekend: A Celebrationof Local Food Growing
EDWINA HUGHES
Last month we featured a story on the allotments of Hastings, this month we are delighted to share news of an upcoming weekend that focuses on edible gardens across the town.
On 28 and 29 June 2025, local food growers will open up their gardens and spaces to visitors. Edible Open Gardens brings together local food growers and curious visitors for a weekend of inspiration and knowledge-sharing. Funded by The Chalk Cliff Trust and organised by Town Grown, this year’s event will highlight the creativity and resilience of food growers in and around Hastings and St Leonards.
Edible Open Gardens showcases everything from compact domestic plots to thriving commercial enterprises with people from across Hastings opening up spaces including guerilla gardens, front & back gardens, allotments, community gardens and smallholdings to the general public. The weekend provides a rare opportunity to meet local growers, explore diverse gardening techniques and discover how even the smallest space can yield an abundance of fresh produce. For those of you with plans to grow your own food, you’ll find inspiration and advice on how others have made it work on small scraps of land, gardens and allotments.
Launched in 2022 in response to rising food costs and environmental concerns, Town Grown has been working to support food sovereignty and biodiversity through talks, workshops, and community networking. As Anna Locke, permaculture author and founding member, explains: “Town Grown is about sharing our collective knowledge and passion to empower more people to grow their own food.”
The Edible Open Gardens event will kick off with a launch event on the evening of Friday 13 June at The Compound. On the evening you will be able to pick up a handy map of the Hastings gardens and spaces taking part. Food and drink from local producers will be on sale, and guests are welcome to bring a bottle.
Launch event: Friday 13 June, 6.00 – 8.30pm The Compound, 161 Bexhill Rd, Hastings, St Leonards-on-sea TN38 8BG Edible Open Gardens Weekend 28 29 June. For more info, attend the launch event or visit towngrown.co.uk. Alternatively, pick up a free map from Wonderfill, 35 King’s Road, St. Leonards.
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