Lakeside Garden Club
Grow, nurture, and create in our garden this Summer.
Saturday 19th July 2025 , 11:00am to 2:00pm
The Lakeside Garden Club is a free programme designed to introduce ways of growing and nourishing a garden while also connecting with creativity through making, observing, and cooking.
Sessions will be held weekly at the Lakeside Centre garden space. The activities will change weekly these are all listed below.
All are welcome to take part, but children must be supervised. Each session will have a books and crafts station, tea & coffee, and space to relax in the gardens. All materials will be provided.
Sessions will be led by knowledgeable Bow Arts artists.
Walk-in spaces are available.
Peat Pellets: Your Garden Starts Here
As part of our Garden Club launch, we’re giving away free peat pellets to the public this summer!
Pick up yours at the Thamesmead Social Café and kick-start your growing journey with ease.
Click here to learn how to use them and get growing!
What Are Peat Pellets?
Peat pellets are compact discs made from natural peat moss, perfect for starting seeds and cuttings. Just add water, and they expand into ready-to-use mini pots no mess, no fuss.
Loved by beginner and seasoned gardeners alike, peat pellets offer:
- Excellent moisture retention
- Easy storage and transport
- A reliable way to grow strong, healthy seedlings
Whether you’re growing herbs on a windowsill or prepping for a full garden, peat pellets are a simple, sustainable way to begin.
Upcoming Activities
28th June – Making Bat Boxes with Dominic Snow
For our first workshop activity is an exciting eco-collab North West Kent Countryside Partnership, Bow Arts and Ridgeway users team up to install habitat boxes along the Ridgeway with local artist Dominic Snow and the community co-designing using reclaimed materials u0026amp; zero-waste goals.
The North West Kent Countryside Partnership (NWKCP) will being working with Bow Arts and the Ridgeway Users group to add habitat boxes along the Ridgeway as part of a the Ridgeway biodiversity enhancement. Join artist Dominic Snow to build two of the ten habitat boxes, with recycled materials like wood and other recycled materials from the Ridgeway path, which will be installed along the path later this year.
5th July – Plant Print Making with Editha Juchnevicien
Discover the beauty of nature through printmaking! Join us for a hands-on Botanical Gelli Print Workshop. Using Gelli plates and real plant materials leaves, flowers, grasses.rnrnYou’ll create stunning layered prints with bold textures and organic shapes.
12th July – Mosaics Workshop with Gary Drostle
Renowned mosaic artist will be sharing his skill, offering a chance to contribute to the making of a small-scale mosaics in the gardens. This will be the last of two sessions.
19th July – Mosaics Workshop with Gary Drostle
Renowned mosaic artist will be sharing his skill, offering a chance to contribute to the making of a small-scale mosaics in the gardens. This will be the last of two sessions.
16th August – Wildlife pond making workshop with Miyuki
u003cdiv data-olk-copy-source=u0022MessageBodyu0022u003eJoin Miyuki Kasahara, local artist to create a DIY pond at the allotment in the Lakeside Centre. We will dig and line the hole, fill the pond and finish with introducing aquatic plants. Then over time we will see what happens next, which animals will move there!u003c/divu003ernu003cdivu003ePonds are a biodiversity hotspot. Whether they’re natural or man-made, they support more species, and more scarce species, than any other freshwater habitat. Incredibly, ponds support two thirds of all freshwater species.u003c/divu003e
30th August – Foraging with Kevin Godby
Join Kevin foru003cspan data-olk-copy-source=u0022MessageBodyu0022u003e a guided foraging walk is a great way to learn informally about what wild and cultivated plants are edible, as well as some of the history and folklore associated with them. South East London has a fantastic array of parks and open spaces, and foraging is an exciting way to connect with nature in a social setting while treating the environment with respect.u003c/spanu003e
13th September- Gardening with Rebecca Erol
u003cspan data-olk-copy-source=u0022MessageBodyu0022u003eDuring this workshop we will be re-assessing the woodland edge planting we did in the autumn, which has established nicely, and carrying out some maintenance on the border. In the second half of the session, we will prepare attractive planters for year-round interest in a semi-shady spot with an eye on both colour and structure.u003c/spanu003e
Past Activities
28th June
Creating Bat Boxes
5th July
Plant print making
Upcoming Activities
12th July
Mosaics Workshop
19th July
Mosaics Workshop
26th July
Mosaic’s Workshop
9th August
Healing Cards
16th August
Wildlife pond making
30th August
Foraging
13th Sepetmber
Gardening
Please note, Programme Activities are subject to change, and updates will be available on the @lakeside_centre Instagram account and the Bow Arts website.
The artists delivering these sessions are: Anne Poole, Miyuki Kasahara, Gary Drostle, Edita Juchneviciene, Nancy Thornber.
Access Information
The nearest public transport station is Abbey Wood (National Rail, Elizabeth Line).
You can access the Lakeside Centre by bus routes 117, 229, 401, 472, 601, 301, 602, 669, N1
Please note parking is not available.
Bike shed on site.
Lakeside Centre facilities: Public toilets with wheelchair access and baby changing facilities.
For full access information and queries, please email pandp@bowarts.com.
