Sowing Roots: Caribbean Garden Heritage in South London

How did the horticultural knowledge and traditions of the Windrush generation shape their experiences of migration and community building in the UK? What plants and foods did Caribbean migrants grow – and where? How do their stories enrich our understanding of the power and joy of gardening?

Ten young students recorded the garden journeys of ten South London horticulturists who were born in the Caribbean, and came here as part of the Windrush generation. These stories will be shared through photography, interviews, the loan of treasured artefacts, and the gift of favourite plants, forming the basis of a free exhibition that opened on 15 November 2021, an events programme, and an inaugural archive of Caribbean gardening heritage at the Garden Museum.

Young people aged 15-21 were trained in developing and conducting oral history interviews; introduced to the main topics in Caribbean horticultural history; and gained experience in the curatorial practices related to histories of colonialism and Black history.

Through connecting the personal stories of Caribbean gardeners in South London to a longer history of Caribbean gardening, the project deepens our understanding of gardening as a complex – and often contradictory – cultural practice that has shaped families, communities and Empire across time.

Sowing Roots was made possible thanks to a grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.