Tavistock Down Community Garden – Growing Hollingdean

Well done Mel! Spreading the Word About Two Trees Community Garden

25th Oct 2025

Council Tenant Celebration Day, 13 September 2025

Growing Hollingdean volunteer, Mel, gave a presentation at the Council Tenant Celebration Day on 13 September 2025, telling people about the wonderful achievements at Two Trees Community Garden over the last 11 years. And her achievements were celebrated in Homing In, the Council’s newsletter for tenants.

Mel a Growing Hollingdean volunteer on front cover of Homing In Autumn 2025 WEB

Front cover news for Two Trees Community Garden

We are very proud of Mel and what she has achieved as one of the Growing Hollingdean early members. As well as establishing Two Trees with Nauma and developing it over the years, she is an active Tree Guardian and also grows in her own allotment and garden. And that is as well as caring for her family and a full time job. She is amazing! A big thank you to Mel.

If you would like to join Mel in Two Trees Community Garden, visit our page here for more information.

If you would like to say ‘Thank You’ to our Growing Hollingdean volunteers please add your review here. Thank you.

Leave your review on Google, thank you so much!

Tree Guardians are meeting this Sunday, 6th April 2025 10am-12noon. Come and join us!

5th Apr 2025

Meet at Lynchet Close shed – everyone welcome!

Growing Hollingdean volunteer gardeners weeded and mulched trees on Sunday 2nd March 2025

Would you enjoy helping to look after Hollingdean’s fruit and nut trees, and learning more about what helps them thrive? Come ad meet our volunteers at Growing Hollingdean’s shed on the corner of Brentwood Road and Lynchet Close at 10am. We wait 10 minutes before going on to our location for the morning. One of our Growing Hollingdean volunteers will talk through the mornings plan, including with some Health & Safety tips. There are various jobs and you will be given full training. it is a friendly way to enjoy being outdoors. All equipment is provided, please bring your own drink, gloves (if you have them) and a smile!

We are very lucky to have large green open spaces in Hollingdean, perfect places to sit in the quiet and enjoy nature.

Last month Growing Hollingdean’s volunteer gardeners weeded and mulched trees on Sunday 2nd March 2025. Here is what they did.

Sarahjane took nine volunteers to the pile of wood chip on Merevale and Stephens Road to garden around the trees behind the west side flats. There are eight trees in a line, number 192 to 199, see our tree map for more details. Three Apple trees, two pear trees, a two plum and a Mulberry tree. Mulching will help hold the water in the ground whilst the weather is dry. This helps the trees to grow healthy, juicy fruit.

Volunteers at Hollingdean Park Community Orchard

Our Tree Guardians also headed up to Hollingdean Park Community Orchard to weed, prune and chat in the sun. This is such a lovely quiet space to be. Check out the blossom this month, it’s going to be amazing this year. Great for the bee’s and other pollinating insects to enjoy as well.

Thank you to all Growing Hollingdean’s volunteers!

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Mural planned for Tavistock Down Flats in 2025

17th Mar 2025

Carl Evans Street Art in Hollingdean, Brighton

Mural planned for Tavistock Down Flats, by Carl Evans, Street Art in Hollingdean, 2025.

Two Trees Community Garden are applying for a Estate Development Budget (EDB) with help from Growing Hollingdean. They want to fund a mural to be painted on the Tavistock Down Flats entrance to Two Trees Community Garden. This will be painted by Carl Evens who painted the other flats around the estate. See his previous work he has created for us here.

Please let us know if you would prefer a colourful artwork on the flats or if you’d like it to remain as it is. Any feedback is welcome including positive comments. If you’d like to have a chat with Clare Nichols the Community Engagement Officer who is organising the project please email to Clare.nichols@brighton-hove.gov.uk. All responses need to be in by Friday 21st March August.

If you would like to know more about our events or help out as a volunteer please email through our contact page here. We look forward to meeting you!

Two Trees Community Garden at Tavistock Down is for everyone, June 2024

7th Jul 2024

*Two Tree Community Garden, Tavistock Down, Hollingdean is for everyone, June 2024*

We are very lucky to have green spaces in Hollingdean

Would you like to learn about gardening and growing your own? Come and help Mel with weeding, planting and harvesting at Two Trees Community Garden, Tavistock Down, or just visit to enjoy the space and the crops. Mel has encouraged locals to use the green space outside their homes since 2014 when the garden began. Now it has some beautiful mature fruit trees, currant bushes and perennial vegetables such as globe artichokes. Would you like to share in the harvest at Two Trees? It is there for everyone, for free, and you can visit anytime.

Mel says “Had much needed help today from a friendly neighbour filling up the water butt’s and a lovely visit from Leigh. Everyone is welcome to visit the garden whenever they want lots of mint needs harvesting“. How to make mint tea for free.

There is abundance of red currants ready for picking during the summer. Please go down and pick for yourself, your neighbour or your family a bowl full of delicious sunshine. You can even make red currant ice cream.

The benefits of green spaces for our mental health

Mel will be at Two Trees Community Garden on Tavistock Down on Mondays, 3 to 5pm

The community garden is free for anyone to use. Whether it is for planting, weeding, sitting, meeting friends, making friends or just watching the wild life in our beautiful green spaces. Everyone is welcome.

How to find Two Trees Community Garden @TavistockDown

The gate entrance is accessible via south end of Tavistock Down, behind the play park, next to the turning to Thompson Road or use what3words, panel.fallen.trash.

Two Trees Community Garden, Tavistock Road, Hollingdean Brighton — *Two Trees Community Garden, Tavistock Down, Hollingdean Brighton, since 2014*

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Froglife visit Two Trees Community Garden, Tavistock Down to build three bog gardens!

26th May 2024

Froglife visit Two Trees Community Garden, Tavistock Down and made 3 bog gardens on 13th May 2024 with Growing Hollingdean volunteers

Built on 13 May 2024 with volunteer help

Two Trees Community Garden on Tavistock Down already had an old bath in the garden. Will from Froglife, Mel and Growing Hollingdean volunteers levelled the bath then scooped out the water, full of life, and put it to one side.

They lined the bath with a pond liner and hessian, added lots of large gravel and then top soil on top before planting the bog plants. Finally they replaced the water, teeming with wildlife, back into the bath. All the equipment, materials and additional ‘know how’ supplied by Froglife. Thank you so much to Will and the team.

If you would like join Mel for gardening at Two Tree Community Garden, her on 07543201670 or tdcommunitygarden@gmail.com or see the Facebook page.

Lined the bath with a pond liner and hessian, added lots of large gravel and top soil on top. With plants from Froglife they planted up and replaced wildlife full water back into the bath.

For all the latest news on Growing Hollingdean free events and volunteering please sign up here or in the box below. Thank you to all the Growing Hollingdean volunteers who made this possible.

Tavistock Down Community Garden Growing Food in Small Spaces Free Event on Monday 26th June 2023

21st Jun 2023

From 3pm to 5pm the Growing Hollingdean volunteers will be there!

Want to grow your own salad and herbs, but don’t have a garden? Join us and plant up your FREE window pot with lovely fresh salads and herbs. We have the seedlings, the compost and the containers. Just bring yourself and your neighbours! No experience needed, all welcome, just turn up and have some fun at Tavistock Down Community Garden. We look forward to meeting you.