Exploring Bankside’s Green Networks with Boodle Hatfield

Last month, we welcomed Boodle Hatfield to join our Urban Gardener, Dan, on a tour of Better Bankside’s green networks. The group explored how our green spaces have evolved—from small pockets to larger de-paving projects such as Union Street, Wardens Grove, and Keppel Row.

These tours are a valuable way to connect with local businesses, sharing both the challenges and successes of urban gardening, and highlighting how it benefits everyone who walks, dwells, and plays in Bankside.

Taking a closer look at plant identification and their historical and medicinal uses, Dan encouraged participants to appreciate the finer details of greening, how diversifying plants creates a better balance for pollinating insects, ensuring continuous food sources and habitat creation.

Plants identified included Inula helenium, a powerful plant used in Roman times to aid digestion, and Perovskia ‘Blue Spire’ (Russian Sage), valued as a cooling medicine for fevers, and wonderfully fragrant too.

Beyond Better Bankside-led projects, the group also discussed the surprising value of plants growing naturally in the cracks of the Victorian viaduct running through the BID. Buddleja davidii, often seen as a nuisance due to its deep roots, boasts vivid purple flowers that attract a wide variety of pollinators.

If you’d like a tour for your organisation, get in touch with our Urban Gardener, Daniel Lea, dal@betterbankside.co.uk.