Chorlton Community Garden

Chorlton Community Garden is a small and much-loved green space on Manchester Road, tucked between Chorlton Library and the Sedge Lynn. Once a public toilet, the site has been reimagined as a community garden — proof that even the most unlikely spaces can be transformed.

Cared for by a group of local volunteers, under the wing of Chorlton Civic Society, the garden is being developed as a welcoming, biodiverse space that brings people together, supports wildlife, and offers opportunities for growing, creativity and learning.

We warmly welcome anyone who can offer time, skills or expertise, whether occasionally or more regularly. To get involved, email Carolyn at secretary@chorltoncivicsociety.org with any offers. To join our volunteer sessions usually on the first Tuesday of the month 10-12pm or third Saturday of the month (coinciding with the lovely Makers' Market) 2-4pm, please contact Carol at carol@brown.pm
Scroll down to see upcoming activities!

Volunteers have raised funds to carry out the refurbishment and plant up the garden. We are grateful to our funders including the Lottery, Manchester City Council, the Ralph Brocklehurst Fund and the Co-op. We welcome all donations, however small (or large!) to help with running events, looking after and planting up the garden. Please donate using Paypal (via Chorlton Civic Society wholook after our funds). Many thanks!

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Latest developments
Volunteers are always busy enhancing the garden. Here's what we've created during spring 2026. Check out photos on our @chorltongreenhub instagram

a small wildlife pond in the raised bed forest garden
a unique insect eco-retreat with not only a green roof but also a water butt
a Mediterranean herb garden, designed by horticulturalist Liz Cole
a HotBin composting system reached by stepping stones left over from paving
a bench added to the apple tree and wild flower planter
a newly planted dye garden for experiments in natural dying and printing with Jo Capstick from Common Cloth
a full-flowering garden with bee-friendly annual and perennial pollinating plants, hanging baskets and new planters in front of the performance shelter with colourful bedding plants.
A big thank you to Britain in Bloom for their annual bedding plant donations also brightening up the row of planters outside the library, also tended by our volunteers.

🌿 What’s coming up in Chorlton Community Garden

June

Volunteer session: general maintenance

📅 Tuesday 2 June 10-12pm. Just turn up.

Volunteer session: general maintenance

📅 Saturday 20 June 2-4pm. Just turn up.

📅 Saturday 27 June 11-4pm open for Chorlton Open Gardens, together with Chorlton Plant Swap's summer swap. Enjoy being shown round the garden by volunteers and spotting all the features and plants. At 11.30 Jolene Sheehan from Stories of Our Lives will reveal her summer panel for her Windows through the Seasons installation.

July

Summer wreath-making workshop - to decorate the community garden
📅 Saturday 4 July 2-4pm. Please book with Carol carol@brown.pm
📅 Tuesday 7 July – 10am–12pm: Pruning cherry and plum trees
📅 Saturday 18 July – 2pm–4pm: Preparing the garden to look great for Britain in Bloom judging

Volunteer session: Pruning cherry and plum trees, and other activities

📅 Tuesday 7 July 10-12pm. Just turn up.

Volunteer session: Getting ready for Britain in Bloom

📅 Saturday 18 July 2-4pm. Just turn up.

August

📅 Tuesday 4 August – 10am–12pm: Activities to be confirmed.
📅 Saturday 14 August – 2pm–4pm: Activities to be confirmed.

Learn more about the history of the community garden in the video featuring our song written by Carolyn Kagan and Peter Topping and some help from AI a 'little oasis twixt library and pub', Green Chorlton's Hub.

🌱 What we’ve achieved

Over the last couple of years, the Friends of Chorlton Community Garden steering group has made major progress in restoring and improving the garden. This has been made possible through planning permission from Manchester City Council, funding from National Lottery Awards for All, Manchester City Council’s Neighbourhood Investment Fund, the Co-op, Chorlton Makers’ Market, and the Ralph Brocklehurst Fund.

Highlights include:

🌿 A green roof installed and planted on the storage shed, boosting biodiversity

🪨 Heritage York stone paving creating a more accessible, less muddy courtyard-style space

🌸 Flower beds and spring bulbs planted, including around Chorlton Library, the start of a dye garden, an edible forest garden

🌳 Raised beds rebuilt, including an edible forest garden with integrated seating

🎶 A sheltered performance space to host small events, performances and community gatherings as well as for displaying artworks

🍽️ A wheelchair-accessible picnic table, generously funded by the Makers’ Market, now available for visitors

🪴A new gate opening wide for wheelchairs and double buggies, with a friendly welcome sign on top

🌿An insect eco-retreat with a green roof and a water butt

We’ve delivered a range of community projects, including Space to Grow (supporting first-time veg growers), a mushroom-growing workshop, and a flax-processing session among others.

In October 2025 we celebrated the reopening of the garden with a launch event featuring a poem from the Lord Mayor, a performance of our song “A little oasis ’twixt library and pub” by The Mad Donnas, and tastings of apple-based produce from the garden.

We were proud to receive a Britain in Bloom ‘Advancing’ award, with judges commenting: “So very well done to all of you, for getting this far and having high aspirations.”

Together, we’ve now raised over £40,000 to support restoration work and community activity.

🎨 Creativity & community

In December we held a Christmas wreath-making workshop, led by Mez from Mad Sustainable Design. Using foraged and natural materials, participants created wreaths that decorated the garden railings and brought seasonal colour and warmth to the space.

We’re delighted to be working with local artist Jolene Shehan, who has won the commission to create a new sculpture for the garden, Windows Through the Seasons. The artwork will feature changing panels inspired by the four seasons, bringing colour, light and interest to the garden throughout the year. Ideas gathered through community drop-in sessions will help shape the designs for the seasonal panels.