Small Grants

Islington Gardeners aims to make the borough a greener, brighter place for everyone – residents and visitors alike. We want to help people enjoy the health and wellbeing benefits of gardening and being outdoors. At the same time we want to provide food for local pollinators. And to support these aims, we offer small grants for Forgotten Corners and Tree Pits across Islington.

  • Forgotten Corners are small areas of public green space which are planted and maintained by keen resident gardeners. These include road verges, estate land and public utility land.

  • One popular type of Forgotten Corner is a tree pit or tree garden, which is a mini garden created in the bare soil around street trees.

    Examples of tree pits can be found below.

  • Islington Gardeners invites anyone who loves gardening to plant up a Forgotten Corner or Tree Pit.

    We offer grants of £50 – £100 to people who would like to improve a Forgotten Corner or Tree Pit in the Borough of Islington. The money can be used to improve an existing but neglected area or help towards developing a new one.                           

  • Applicants must be members of Islington Gardeners and applications and can be from an individual or a group. Until further notice, applications are considered on a rolling basis. 

    So, if you know of a scrap or two of land that can be improved or developed to become a beautiful space for everyone to enjoy, and you or a group of neighbours would like to get going with improving it, do please apply for a grant.

    Please give us details of the location that you would like to improve and a couple of photos, together with a short description of what you would like to do with the space and a summary of what you would spend the money on could secure you £100 or more towards the cost of your improvements.

    And then send this by email to islingtongardeners01@gmail.com

  • Some tips for creating a tree pit are :

    1. Define the planted area by adding an edging made of tile, wood or some other durable material

    2. Improve the soil around the tree while being careful not to mound soil against the tree trunk

    3. Plant tough plants appropriate to the conditions, which are generally very dry. Plants for dry sunny conditions could include Salvia, Lavender and Sedum. And small bulbs such as crocus and some tulips and daffodils. If the conditions are shady consider Male ferns (Dryopteris filix-mas), Euphorbia amygdaloides robbiae, and Epimedium x perralchicum ‘Frohnleiton’

    4. Water regularly, every day in hot sunny conditions. You can use ‘grey water’ for this.

    5. Don’t be disheartened if plants are sometimes damaged or litter is dropped into your tree garden. Just keep going and know that most people really appreciate what you’re doing.                               

    For more information about Tree Pits visit the Islington Council website for their guidance.

    And remember, we are here to help! So if you have any questions send us a message and we will get back to you.

  • Get in touch with us by email and we will be happy to help. You can do this by sending an email to Anita.

Tree Pit Inspiration

  • Pink flowers and green foliage along a sidewalk with parked cars and pedestrians in the background.

    Tree Pit 1

  • A street scene with parked cars, trees, a sidewalk with plants, and a school zone sign with a crossing icon and the word "School."

    Tree Pit 2

  • A small garden bed with various plants and flowers, bordered by a concrete sidewalk. A wire garden protector surrounds a young tree or shrub in the center. A car is parked nearby, partially visible on the left side of the image.

    Tree Pit 3

  • A rectangular wooden planter box with soil, containing various plants with colorful foliage, and a sign that reads "Please Be Respectful" with an illustration of a dog crossed out.

    Tree Pit 4

  • A rectangular flower bed with various green plants and yellow flowers is located beside a concrete sidewalk and a parked green car.

    Tree Pit 5

  • A small tree with leafy branches stands in a trailer filled with purple, pink, and dark violet flowers. The trailer is parked on a gray asphalt surface with a brick and white building with windows in the background of the image.

    Tree Piit 6

  • A teal Volkswagen Transporter van with a ladder on its back parked on a street beside a sidewalk. The van is partially obscured by a tree trunk and purple flowering plants growing at the base of the tree.

    Tree Pit 7

  • A variety of plants and flowers growing in a flower bed beside a sidewalk, including pink, yellow, and purple flowers with green foliage.

    Tree Pit 8

  • Sidewalk next to a tree surrounded by green plants and flowers, with a black bollard to the left and a parked BMW car in the background.

    Tree Pit 9

  • A small garden bed with vibrant flowers, bordered by a wooden frame, with a white birch tree trunk in the center, situated on a city sidewalk.

    Tree Pit 10

  • A sidewalk with a small garden area next to the curb, containing a tree and purple flowers. A parked silver car is partially visible in the top left corner.

    Tree Pit 11