Share your community gardening story

The RHS has been working with the Socially Engaged Photography Network to encourage and upskill communities in creative storytelling. This took place through regional projects that followed the stories of local groups throughout the growing year and their experiences, motivations and activities.

Throughout 2023, photographer Gwen Riley Jones was commissioned by the RHS and Open Eye Gallery to work with three community gardening groups: Q Gardens, Strand Community Hub and Petrus Incredible Edible Rochdale (PIER) in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, to co-create a series of photographs which told their gardening and growing story.

Meanwhile in Glasgow, Scotland, photographers Saskia Coulson and Colin Tennant were commissioned by the RHS and Street Level Photoworks to collaborate on a photography project with the Cranhill Community Development Trust, to document the story of the gardening and cooking initiatives on their site.

We’ve asked the artists involved to contribute their top tips, as well as share the work created to inspire others to document their own gardening stories.

Taking photographs is one of the most accessible ways to capture what you’re up to, and the people and spaces around you. Don’t worry, you don’t need to have a high-end camera or specialist skills to take beautiful photographs – your phone will do the trick!

Check out our photography activity pack, created with Open Eye Gallery and Street Level Photoworks, for tips and activities to build confidence and creativity with smartphone photography. It’s easy to view on your phone, so why not share it with other members of your group and encourage everyone to get involved?

Often made to tell a story, share a message or raise awareness about something important to you, a zine is a handmade or self-published booklet or leaflet. Zines can be a creative way to bring people together and empower them to document and share what matters to them.

• Use a lot of visuals – photographs and illustrations should take up most of the space, and text should be short and concise
• Your cover image should be something that catches peoples’ eyes instantly. Think about what would capture attention and use that
• Include different stories or types of material. For Grow to Eat we wanted to put together a holistic zine, so we included growing tips and recipes for using the food that was grown in the community garden
• Remember to include your funders’ logos, and anyone else who has helped you along the way – it is such a nice way to thank people and organisations for their contribution
• Share a print and digital version so as many people as possible can see it. Ensure that a digital file is readily available on lots of platforms and ask your funders if they want to share it. By having it in many places you can reach a wider audience