Unearthed: The Power of Gardening Exhibition – Blog post from the Good Food Lewisham Team

Last month, members of Lewisham Local’s team who have been supporting work under the Food Roots 2 programme visited Unearthed: The Power of Gardening exhibition at the British Library to mark the programme’s conclusion. 

The exhibition was chosen because it featured Coco Collective, a local food justice growing group and Afro-diaspora-led community garden established in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The Power of Gardening explored the transformative impact of gardening on individuals and communities. It highlighted how gardening has helped feed the hungry during wartime, supported the cultivation of healthy food and medicinal plants, and continues to provide mental wellbeing and nourishment. Gardening also plays a crucial role in shaping more sustainable and beautiful cities, while strengthening community resilience and connection. 

Exhibition Highlights: 

• One of the standout pieces was the first English gardening manual, offering a fascinating glimpse into the early cultivation practices and the evolving relationship between people and the land. 

• Also on display was Charles Darwin’s vasculum, the plant specimen case he used during the Voyage of the Beagle, connecting the practice of gardening to the history of scientific exploration and discovery. 

• A beautifully preserved Victorian Wardian Case—a mini travelling greenhouse—demonstrated how thousands of plant specimens were transported across the world, revolutionizing global horticulture and biodiversity exchange. 

• It was especially moving to see Coco Collective’s work at the heart of the exhibition. Through four short films, their inspiring Afro-diaspora-led community garden was brought to life, showcasing how it fosters community resilience, cultural connection, and sustainable living. The films also highlighted the structural inequalities faced by Black African and Black Caribbean communities in accessing land and food, and how spaces like Coco Collective can offer powerful opportunities for healing, empowerment, and reconnection with the land. 

It was a valuable opportunity to explore the role of gardening and its far-reaching impact on individuals, communities, and the wider world. The experience was both informative and inspiring, and it will undoubtedly help inform and enrich the team’s ongoing work in supporting the Lewisham community through food justice initiatives. 

One team member reflected: 

“It was inspiring to listen to and watch the interviews with members of Coco Collective, and to see how their land and garden space provides such a healing and empowering environment. It emphasized how crucial these kinds of spaces are—and how access to land has been a central and ongoing struggle in the pursuit of food justice over the centuries.” 

The exhibition also sparked reflection on how gardening manifests in different forms, from formal landscaping to community gardening—and what that says about who holds power over land. 

“Large-scale, manicured gardens often reflect a desire to tame or dominate nature, while community gardens are more rooted in the lived realities of food insecurity and grassroots resilience.” 

The team left feeling inspired and even more committed to advocating for equitable access to land, food, and green space in Lewisham. 

The exhibition hopes to spark the message that gardening is one of the most positive choices societies can embrace—bringing people together, strengthening communities, greening our cities, improving health, and contributing to a more sustainable and resilient world. 

The exhibition comes at a crucial time, as there is a growing need to reclaim green spaces to support healthier eating, combat pollution, encourage active lifestyles, and make better use of urban land. Gardening plays a vital role in this movement and can be practiced in the many community gardens across Lewisham. These green spaces, sustained by dedicated community groups, are essential to keeping our environment vibrant and resilient.

Unearthed: The Power of Gardening | British Library is on until Sunday 10 August 2025.