Duchess of Cambridge to visit King Henry’s Walk Community Garden

The Duchess of Cambridge will visit a “hidden oasis” in Newington Green to learn about the benefits of community gardening on Tuesday.

In her first royal engagement of 2019, Kate Middleton, who turned 37 yesterday (Wed), is visiting King Henry’s Walk Community Garden Centre, a registered charity, to meet volunteers and learn about organic gardening.

The communal plot, in King Henry’s Walk, is run by volunteers with support from Islington Council.

The winner of a host of Islington in Bloom awards in recent years, it promotes “a diversity of plants and wildlife”, while also offering talks, tours and workshops.

Kensington Palace announced the trip yesterday, tweeting: “On Tuesday 15th January The Duchess of Cambridge will visit the King Henry’s Walk Community Garden Centre in Islington.

“The Duchess will meet volunteers to hear how the project brings people together through gardening and food growing.”

King Henry’s Walk Garden also took to Twitter, stating: “Come into the garden Kate... The Duchess of Cambridge visits us next week to discover the joys of community gardening.”

The garden, which was created in 2007, enables neighbours to cultivate their own organic plots.

Beyond Islington’s borders it has won a string of titles including the Royal Horticultural Society’s Certification of Distinction in 2011, and London in Bloom’s Best Community Garden in 2008, 2009 and 2011.

“I’m absolutely ecstatic,” committee member Jenny told the Gazette today.

“The garden is sometimes too secret.

“We love the solitude there but obviously something this [Kate’s visit] we want to shout from the rooftops.

“We are very proud of the garden, which is run by a really strong community team of volunteers, which is so representative of Islington and Hackney.”

In recent years, the Duchess has visited Family Action at Hornsey Road Children’s Centre, Blessed Sacrament School in Treaty Street, the Anna Freud Centre in Rodney Street and the town hall itself.

Pick up next week’s Gazette to see how Kate got on at the garden.