Find out how and where to buy compost and plants from OrganicLea.
Plants raised at Hawkwood
We grow all the plants we sell at Hawkwood Nursery. Work is carried out by a team of OrganicLea growers including members of our workers’ cooperative and lots of local volunteers who support the project’s aim to see more food growing in London.
We aim to raise plants that are strong and healthy, ready to compete with weed seedlings and garden pests! All plants are raised from seeds and are certified organic.
What do we grow for sale and when?
Our main season plants are available from April to June. We grow:
Vegetable Plants
- Half-hardy and tender annuals like Tomatoes, Peppers, Cucumbers, Pumpkins, French Beans, Kudu, Callaloo, Tomatillos;
- Hardy annuals like Cabbages, Kale, Florence Fennel, Peas;
- Plugs of Salads like Lettuce, Mustard, Sorrel, Orache;
- Perennial Vegetables like Globe Artichokes, Sea Beet, Perennial Kale, Welsh Onion.
Herbs like Coriander, Parsley, Basil, Scallions, Shiso, Sage.
Flowers for wildlife, beauty and some for eating too! Like Cornflower, Nasturtium, Echinops, Poached Egg Plant.
Fruit like Rhubarb, Melons, Strawberries, Gooseberries, Blackcurrants.
To keep the garden growing throughout the colder months we produce hardy winter plants for September.
How to Buy
Plant sales take place at Hawkwood Nursery, the dates in 2026 are:
- Sunday 26 April
- Sunday 31 May
- Sunday 27 September
Throughout May and October plants are also available from the Hawkwood Farm Stall, which is open on Wednesdays 2pm-5pm, and Fridays 9am-5pm.
We will also be selling plants at community events run by our partners in the Waltham Forest Food Growers’ Network. Please watch this space for more details or sign up to our newsletter.
Bulk plant orders
We can respond to requests for larger orders from community groups which will usually be sown to order. Please get in touch if you’d like to discuss this – email: plants@organiclea.org.uk or call 020 8524 4994
Handmade, certified organic, peat free compost
OrganicLea compost is hand-mixed and bagged at our Hawkwood site by our production team with the support of learners and volunteers.
It is 100% peat-free; certified organic by the Soil Association and the result of over 20 years of perfecting the recipe. We believe it to be the most sustainable and affordable compost available in Waltham Forest. It’s available in 10, 20 or 40 litres bags (approx).
We offer three types: seed, potting-on and container compost:
- The seed compost mix provides sufficient aeration and water retention to encourage germination and fast rooting.
- Our potting-on formula keeps young plants healthy, giving them a boost of nutrients in readiness for transplanting.
- OrganicLea container compost provides nutrient support for plants growing in containers for the long term.
We also sell green waste compost, which is Soil Association approved, in 20 and 40 litre bags. It’s ideal for mulching, adding bulk to raised beds, providing organic matter and improving the soil.
How to Buy
We sell compost at our big plant sales as detailed above, and from our Farm Stall – Wednesdays, 2pm-5pm, and Fridays, 9am-5pm.
The Farm Stall is restocked once a week, but to ensure that we have what you require you can pre-order from our online compost shop for collection from Hawkwood Nursery. Order by Tuesday for collection on Friday, or if you can’t make it on Friday come Tuesday or Wednesday the following week.
Alternatively, we offer compost for delivery in our electric van to the following post codes: E4, E10, E11, E17, IG8 and IG9.
To make our deliveries as efficient as possible we are initially offering the following 2026 dates, Friday 3 and 17 April; Friday 1 and 15 May; Friday 4 June; Friday 11 September. Subsequent dates may be added once demand is assessed. Place your order on our online compost shop.
Return your plant pots and compost sacks
We reuse plant pots and compost sacks in good condition. For pots we can only take those that are 7-9cm diameter, as seen in the photo at the top of this page. Please return them to Hawkwood Nursery or to the Hornbeam Centre in Walthamstow, London.
Flower power
From June to October we sell cut flowers – fresh, organic, seasonal, local flowers that are beautiful and also in many cases edible! Visit our cut-flower scheme for details.
Adopt a fruit tree
Many of the 200 fruit and nut trees at Hawkwood have been adopted, as a gift or as a memorial, helping us to look after the trees, preserve traditional varieties and teach new growers.
The recipients receive a certificate, and a simple slate label with their name attached to the tree.
We still have a few trees available so please get in touch if you are interested in adopting a tree for a suggested £35 donation. Call 020 8524 4994, or email, plants@organiclea.org.uk