General Information

The Phoenix Garden, a local community garden in central London, constructed on a site previously occupied by a car park, is the only one of the original seven Covent Garden Community Gardens to survive to this day. It continues to be run by a committee of volunteers comprising local residents and workers, and offers a green retreat from the urban stresses of London’s West End.

Additional Information

Located in St Giles behind the Phoenix Theatre, within the London Borough of Camden, the Phoenix Garden is nestled between the busy Soho and Covent Garden areas. The garden is located just off St Giles Passage and Stacey Street, north of Shaftesbury Avenue and east of Charing Cross Road.

Ecology: Highlights

The garden is maintained using an innovative approach to wildlife gardening. The plants that grow at the site are immune to dry conditions and look good all year round. Additionally, the species are selected to be diverse and of maximum benefit to wildlife. Thus, many different habitats are created to grow as many species as possible.

History: Highlights

The Phoenix Garden was set up on a car park in the 1980s, which had itself been established on a WWII bombsite (the site was bombed in 1940). Prior to this the garden was also the site of many houses, and a pub. The Phoenix Garden has survived various challenges, including a major industrial fly-tipping incident soon after its foundation.

Best Environmental Garden: Highlights

The Garden has won first prize for Best Environmental Garden in the Camden in Bloom competition six times – 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, and 2010. It also holds regular social events, including the extremely popular annual Agricultural Show and volunteering workdays.