Come along and help Friends of Burgess Park celebrate 30 years of the World Garden at Chumleigh Gardens, Burgess Park with activities over two afternoons on Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 June 2026.
On Saturday take part in family friendly events, listen to jazz and world music in the garden and enjoy the photography exhibition about the history of the World Garden and find out more about the different plants and their cultural importance to Southwark’s diverse communities. We are joining forces with London Climate and Nature Action Week and community groups to focus on the impact of climate change on nature and the gardens of yesterday and tomorrow.
On Sunday come along to enjoy talks, walks and help identify all the plants in the World Garden as we also celebrate the summer solstice.
The event is funded by Southwark Council’s Cultural Celebrations Fund
Connecting communities and cultures through the World Garden
The walled garden is a quiet oasis with plants from every continent, and a treasured space, yet it remains unknown to many people. We want to celebrate the beautiful garden, the unique planting and invite more people to enjoy this special place.
The weekend celebration will help to promote the garden to more Southwark communities and connect them with the plants in the World Garden that are meaningful in their culture and heritage.
We know that people visit to remind them of ‘home’. We are seeking community contributions for the exhibition and events:
- memories or photographs of the garden
- names and uses of the plants by different communities
- cultural importance of the different plants
- music from around the world
The World Garden is a special place. If you have photos or memories of the garden, if a plant has a special meaning for you, we would like to include this in the exhibition. Please get in touch.
And/or if you would like to help with the event, organising or on the day, please get in touch.
Contact us by email friendsofburgesspark@gmail.com
Read about the history of Chumleigh Gardens on our history website Bridge to Nowhere. The Chumleigh buildings originally provided homes for poor women. They were opened in 1823 by The Female Friendly Society. The gardens were established in 1995.