De-pave your garden

As a National Park City over half of London will be green. Almost a quarter of London’s land area is made up of gardens, but only 60 per cent of this area is green. The area of patios, decking and paving has increased in recent years.

Greening your garden can help make London a healthier place to live. It can help prevent flooding by letting water soak into the soil, absorb air pollution, provide a home for wildlife and keep the city cool in the summer. This doesn’t mean removing your patio – even creating a small patch of green can help.

There are lots of ways that you can get involved. You can:

1. Start small by planting a pot or a window box to green even the smallest space. Find out how with the RSPB.
2. Take up a patch of concrete, decking or paving in your garden and replace it with gravel or plants. The Royal Horticultural Society has lots of helpful hints. The RHS and London Wildlife Trust have helpful advice on drought resistant gardening.
3. Turn your garden into a mini-nature reserve by following London Wildlife Trust’s wildlife friendly gardening guide.
4. Create a new patch of greenery by adding a green roof to your garden shed.
5. Help to soak up water and prevent flooding by creating your own rain garden.
6. Team up with your neighbours to run a community depaving project.

Let us know how you’re greening the grey. Share your photos on social media with the hashtag #NationalParkCity

The Mayor is calling on Londoners to do simple things to make our city greener as part of his contribution to London being the world's first National Park City. Find out what else you can do.