Moravian Church House Garden

As those of you who have visited Church House in London will know, we are very fortunate to have a large front garden, and a much larger back garden. As an office we rarely have an opportunity to spend time in them, but earlier this year we were busy clearing the front of the overgrown ivy and other invasive plants and shrubs. We achieved this just in time to plant daffodils, tulips and some additional rose bushes.

We are situated on a very busy junction, close to the fire station, so it is usually pretty hectic, and the spring bulbs that have given a burst of colour and beauty have been very well received by all the passers by. Many stop to take photographs and comment on the transformation. It is lovely to see the smiles on their faces, and good to see them stop, take a few minutes out of their busy day, and enjoy the beauty of nature. The bulbs are wonderful for pollinators such as bees and wasps and we have also seen an increase in butterflies and different species of birds are also now visiting.

Bordering the back of the garden six new houses have been built. Despite local action groups petitioning against this development, it went ahead with the loss of many mature trees, and our garden has lost three trees in the process. There are over 8 million trees in London, and this number qualifies this city to be recognised as an official forest, but every tree that is felled is a home to so many birds and other wildlife that each loss is keenly felt.

Whilst we have made the front garden a place of beauty with stunning vibrant colours to brighten up the local area for all to enjoy, we are fully committed to increasing the biodiversity in the back garden. We have left the deadwood on site after the felling of our trees, and it is now a perfect home for so many insect species.

We have allowed the brambles more space to spread as they are one of nature’s super foods for all types of animals. They form part of the natural diet of foxes, and they make their dens underneath. Almost 100 species of moths and micro moths feed on them, with around another 150 other species of insects too. So much biodiversity in one plant! We are working on re-wilding the back portion and filling the pond again.

The re-planting of our front garden has sparked so much local interest, that we are in the process of registering with the National Gardens Scheme which will mean that we will open our gates one (hopefully) sunny afternoon in 2026 and share this beautiful haven of peace with visitors. It will also give us a great opportunity to explain what the Moravian Church does and put ourselves firmly on the map. So many people used to just walk past with their heads down but now they stop and talk, and wonder what this building is, so it is a good opportunity to let them know about us.

Sr Lindsey Newens

Church House