OmVed Gardens Food and Ecology Centre is Now Open

This past weekend, hundreds of visitors found their way to Highgate’s hidden green sanctuary, where OmVed Gardens proudly opened a new chapter.

As the team at Carpenter Oak, we had the honour of bringing this vision to life. What once were old, tired greenhouses have been transformed into a series of carefully crafted timber structures - a seed library, barn, exhibition space, café, and a thriving plant nursery.

Built from British-grown, thin, small-section timber, we used kiln-dried, planed-all-round Douglas fir, dried larch for a delicate connecting bridge, and sap-free larch glulam framing the greenhouse. It’s a true celebration of timber’s natural beauty and strength - and now, the greenhouse itself is bursting with life.

Over 300 curious visitors wandered through the gardens - exploring vegetable patches, the ‘sky garden,’ tranquil ponds, a wildflower meadow, and a peaceful willow circle. Inside, they experienced the Into Seeds of Time exhibition by OmVed’s artist in residence, Vivienne Schadinsky - a moving reflection on growth and time.

Calling itself a “small garden with big ideas,” OmVed now thrives as a learning hub, offering workshops on everything from fermenting and food growing to nature painting, budget cooking, meditation, and even pond dipping.

The café, serving seasonal, plant-forward dishes crafted from the garden’s own bounty, now welcomes visitors on weekends - a perfect spot to gather, share stories, and nourish both body and soul.