Nancy Pattenden was born 4th December 1926 and died 15th February 2009 aged 82 years and died just after her husband Brian Victor Pattenden 26th Aug 1922 – 26th Jan 2009. 

Many new members and other people from across the borough may not be aware that it was Nancy who founded Islington Gardeners towards the end of the 1970s.

In the 1950s, Nancy and her husband Brian, both young qualified architects, found a house in Halton Road in preparation for their marriage in 1957. They joined the Islington Society, whose aims were to preserve Islington Borough’s many outstanding architectural gems. With great enthusiasm, Nancy embraced the role of encouraging its citizens to cultivate and above all enjoy their gardens.

Singlehandedly, she ran the first competitions: from the advertising, through judging to the presentation of certificates. All over the Borough her voice could be heard praising; advising and suggesting improvements to gardens, window boxes, forgotten areas, estates, communal homes.

By the late 1970s membership of the Islington Society had grown to the point where the Society felt that in order to spread interest throughout the whole Borough, Islington Gardeners should form its own committee and thus become independent of Islington Society.

Before long, and with the help of visits to famous gardens, winter talks by experts and plant sales these gardeners were rolling off the Linnean double names of plants and were becoming experts in their own right.

They had recognised Nancy’s fairness in judging and responded to her warmth and generosity.

When the new committee took over, Nancy felt free to pursue her own passions, one of which was the creation of a scented garden for the blind. She and Pam Millward (chair of IG during the 1990s) had this garden constructed in the garden of an old peoples’ home off Seven Sisters Road. 

Other interests, such as community gardens and the Borough’s trees involved forging links with Islington Council’s experts in the Parks and Gardens department. With her unaffected good humour and natural friendliness she found friends instead of officials with whom she could share advice.

Nancy had a wicked sense of humour, was a Morris Dancer and was a passionate advocate for the preservation of wildlife.

Islington in Bloom is the annual gardening competition, run by Islington Council and Islington Gardeners. Islington Gardeners became involved with Islington in Bloom in the early 2000s. 

You can read more about Islington in Bloom’s history on the Holloway Express website.

There are lots of different categories to enter, and you don’t need to have any experience or even a garden, to take part. To find out more have at look at the Islington Council website.

Further reading can be found on the Islington Life website from the competition’s 20th anniversary in 2022.

Islington Gardeners decided to name the wildlife award that Islington Gardeners sponsors within Islington in Bloom after her to ensure that Nancy’s legacy (of supporting local green spaces and the wildlife it supports) lives on.

London in Bloom is part of the national gardening competition: Britain in Bloom, run by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). 

To quote the RHS, London in Bloom “is not all about hanging baskets and park bedding displays, nor is it about big budgets and officer time. Our campaigns and competitions provide something for everyone who wishes to contribute to a quality of life in London, conserve our green heritage and do their bit for the environment.”

Islington has entered the London in Bloom competition for many years both in its competition for villages, towns and cities, and by encouraging local community groups and community gardens to enter its ‘It’s your Neighbourhood’ competition. 

Islington the borough is represented in the competition by Islington Gardeners. Islington has been very successful over the years. Last year we won two categories: Best City (The category for boroughs within the city of London) and the overall Health and Wellbeing Prize. Several of our local groups were successful in the It’s Your Neighbourhood competition. 

Next year we have been asked by the London in Bloom committee to represent London in the Britain in Bloom competition. 

For more information about London in Bloom see: 

https://londoninbloom.co.uk/