Bristol’s flourishing network of community gardens, orchards and urban farms will open their gates for this year’s Get Growing Trail, taking place 20–21 September 2025. Now a much-anticipated fixture in the city’s green calendar, this year’s harvest-themed Trail invites visitors to explore 34 diverse growing spaces, meet the people behind them, and discover how growing food is nurturing both people and place. There will be family friendly activities on offer and food and drink available at many of the sites.
This year's Trail is especially vibrant, with 11 new groups joining the line-up – from Westbury Library Garden in the north to Lush Greens Bristol in the south, and the innovative Bristol Rainforest project in the city centre, which is showcasing a hydroponic ‘Wall of Veg’ designed to make growing food possible even without a garden. Community growing groups are represented from all over the city from Brentry to Bedminster, St Pauls to Southville, and Westbury to Whitchurch.
Ramona Andrews, Coordinator of the Get Growing Trail 2025, says: “What’s striking this year is how the trail reflects the creativity and resilience of our city. From transforming concrete yards into vibrant gardens to sharing harvests with soup kitchens, these projects are about more than growing food - they’re about growing community, care and connection. It’s a privilege to shine a light on the energy and generosity thriving across Bristol’s green spaces.”
Image - Get Growing Trail
Highlights from this year’s trail include:
• Lush Greens Bristol is a bold project turning unloved land into a thriving, sustainable food-growing hub.
• Roots Allotments is revolutionising city growing with accessible, ready-to-grow plots, plus the site is working in partnership with Bristol Secret Soup Society, sharing surplus produce and helping tackle food waste. • The Bristol Rainforest is inviting visitors to learn how to build their own vertical growing system and take home a pomegranate seedling.
• New to the Trail this year, the neighbourhood green space Greenway Community Garden is bringing local people together in a wildlife-focused, sensory garden.
• As well as all the city farms (Lawrence Weston Community Farm, Hartcliffe City Farm, St Werburghs City Farm and Windmill Hill City Farm) community farm small-holdings in the city that are not always open to the public will be accessible over the weekend, including Bedminster Down Community Farm and Bramble Farm.
• Elm Tree Farm, a small working care farm and social enterprise in Stapleton, will also open its doors, giving visitors the chance to enjoy the farm and its surroundings - run according to organic principles and supporting adults with learning disabilities and autism. • Alive's Dementia-friendly Allotment has been running for four years. Designed with accessibility and dementia-friendliness in mind, it helps people keep enjoying gardening even after they can no longer manage their own plot.
• Play, learn, grow: families can get stuck in with nature play, wildflower walks, storytelling, and hands-on workshops. • Volunteer-powered joy: meet the inspiring people transforming empty spaces into edible landscapes across the city and find out more about how you can volunteer at these spaces.
The Trail’s late-September timing this year brings a distinctly harvest-themed atmosphere, with apple pressing at Totterdown Orchard, Royate Hill Community Orchard, Woodcroft Community Orchard, bulb planting at many of the sites, and a guided tour and harvest volunteering session at The Community Farm.
For those looking to connect, volunteer, learn new skills or simply enjoy the fruits of Bristol’s urban harvest, the Get Growing Trail 2025 is an open invitation to be inspired by what’s possible when communities come together to grow.
Entrance to all gardens is free. Some sites are open on just the Saturday, some the Sunday, some on both days – see the website for full details, activities and directions at: bristolgoodfood.org/ggt
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