This map of green spaces in Brixton addresses the legacies of the British empire and celebrates local botanical education, community gardening and food growing initiatives, whilst looking at gardens as places to consider injustice, oppression and colonial legacy.
The map features seven green spaces in and around Brixton, which detail the entwined histories of colonialism and botany, and signpost local community gardening initiatives. It also features a kid’s trail, a glossary which queries the common use of colonial and racist language in horticulture, a reading list and a list of additional local green spaces.
By unearthing sensitive histories, the Brixton Botanical Map highlights green spaces as sites of learning, loss and remembrance, but also of radical action and possibility.
This map responds to, and expands on, ‘Things Held Fast’, a new public commission at Brixton Underground station by Australian artist Helen Johnson.
Collect your free copy from Brixton Underground station, Brixton Library, Brixton Windmill Centre, Brockwell Park Community Garden, the Garden Museum and the South London Botanical Institute or download a free pdf below.
