The Kent Community Oasis Garden

Kent Community Oasis Garden

A multi-use space for students, staff and the local community, run in partnership with East Kent Mind.

Welcome to the Kent Community Oasis Garden

We are the Kent Community Oasis Garden (KentCOG), a collection of students, staff and community members working to create a sustainability hub centred around growing food and connecting with nature. A partnership project between the University and East Kent Mind.

Festive Season Closure: KentCOG is closed from 18th December 2025 and reopens on 7th January 2026.

To find out how you can get involved, follow one of the links below for more information or email us at kentcog@kent.ac.uk

You can also support the project by gifting funds via the button below.

Videos

Welcome to KentCOG

Learn about what we do at the Kent Community Oasis Garden and how you can find out more.

How to find us

Follow along with our useful video that will show you how to walk from the Sports Centre to the Kent Community Garden located in Parkwood.

Meet KentCOG's Student Ambassadors

KentCOG Student Ambassadors for 2025-26 are Lily, Simon, George and Selby  (L-R).  

They are all third year students at Kent who found the garden, found friends and really embedded themselves in the garden community, making it their space to share and spend time in as often as possible. They are your voice for the garden and we know that they will be passionate about using their roles as ambassadors to make sure every single volunteer feels safe, seen, connected and welcome in the garden, so everyone can feel the benefits they have experienced from being part of KentCOG.

 
Come along and meet them and make it your space.

Houseplant Hospital - Rescue and Rehoming

Sustainable Houseplant growing on Campus

Sharing your space with houseplants can really help improve your wellbeing. But what can you do when they get sick? At KentCOG we have the answer with our monthly houseplant hospital sessions. We can offer advice, propagation, pots, compost and aim to support whatever your needs are, to encourage sustainable houseplant growing and sharing on campus.

If you're leaving campus we can also babysit them until your return or rehome them to a student who can offer them a new space to live in. 

Monthly Drop in Sessions 

First Wednesday of the month 10am - 2pm


People using tools to garden

KentCOG Tool Library

Supporting you to grow in a space near you. 

To support students growing in their own green spaces, we have established a Tool Library at KentCOG.

UoK Students can borrow garden tools and equipment to help establish and maintain growing activities, whether that's seeding herbs for your windowsill kitchen garden or planting vegetables and wildflowers in a patch of green, the Tool Library can help. 

Tools can be collected on a Wednesday morning from KentCOG and returned a week later. Click on the button for more information.

So have a go and grow in your green space and visit the garden to collect what you need.

KentCOG Activities

All events take place at the garden unless otherwise stated. You can find directions to the garden using the location button in the top banner of the page. If you are new to KentCOG please visit our volunteering page to find out how you can get involved in the general gardening sessions. 

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    Gardening Session

    Every Wednesday

    Drop in gardening session.

    If you are new to KentCOG please follow the link above  to find out how to access our sessions.

    10am - 2pm

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    Gardening Session

    Every Friday

    Drop in gardening session.

    If you are new to KentCOG please follow the link above to find out how to access our sessions.

    10am - 2pm

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    Plant Hospital

    1st Wednesday of the month

    Bring along your sick or neglected houseplants and we will try to resuscitate them and provide you with any resources you might need.  Usually occurs first Wednesday of each month.

    Drop in between 10am- 2pm 

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    Wellbeing Café @Hothe Court

    Tuesday 13th January

    A weekly Wellbeing Café session with a chance to chat, craft, chill and connect with nature in the relaxed surroundings of Hothe Court Farmhouse, newly reopened this year. Make it your space! Open to students only.

    3pm- 4.30pm

     

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    Monthly Seed Sow and Grow

    Wednesday 14th Jan   

    Come down to KentCOG and help get the garden growing by joining our Spring term seed sow activity. Plant this month's seeds in seed trays and compost to grow in the polytunnels on site.

    No experience necessary.

     10.30am - 11.00am

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    Biodiversity Booster - Pallet 'Bug Hotel'

    Wednesday 14th January

    Get your first 2026 biodiversity boost building a new pallet based 'bug hotel' hibernaculum with lots of space for new species to inhabit. It will be the first new  Hothe Court habitat! Students only.

    Drop in 11am - 1pm 

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    Wellbeing Café @Hothe Court

    Tuesday 20th January 

    A weekly Wellbeing Café session with a chance to chat, craft, chill and connect with nature in the relaxed surroundings of Hothe Court Farmhouse, newly reopened this year. Make it your space! Students only.

    3pm- 4.30pm

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    Biodiversity Booster - RSPB Birdwatch

    Wednesday 21st January

    Get your biodiversity boost this week with a bird spot and count. We will be identifying and recording birds we see and reporting our results to the RSPB national 2026 survey. Learn as we go. Students only.

    10am - 11pm

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    Wellbeing Café @Hothe Court

    Tuesday 27th January 

    A weekly Wellbeing Café session with a chance to chat, craft, chill and connect with nature in the relaxed surroundings of Hothe Court Farmhouse, newly reopened this year. Make it your space! Students only.

    3pm- 4.30pm

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    Biodiversity Booster - Nesting

    Wednesday 28th January

    Get your Biodiversity Boost this week exploring bird nest hacks. We will be mounting birdboxes and providing nesting materials to encourage birds to nest onsite. Students only.

    1pm - 2pm

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    Wellbeing Café @Hothe Court

    Tuesday 3rd February

    A weekly Wellbeing Café session with a chance to chat, craft, chill and connect with nature in the relaxed surroundings of Hothe Court Farmhouse, newly reopened this year. Make it your space! Students only.

    3pm- 4.30pm

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    Monthly Seed Sow and Grow

    Wednesday 4th February   

    Come down to KentCOG and help get the garden growing by joining our Spring term seed sow activity. Plant this month's seeds in seed trays and compost to grow in the polytunnels on site.

    No experience necessary.

     11.00 - 12.00pm

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    Biodiversity Booster - Lichen explore

    Wednesday 4th February 

    Get your Biodiversity Boost this week exploring the variety of colours, shapes and textures lichens provide around the garden and photo and record the different species. Students only.

    1pm- 2pm

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    Wellbeing Café @Hothe Court

    Tuesday 10th February

    A weekly Wellbeing Café session with a chance to chat, craft, chill and connect with nature in the relaxed surroundings of Hothe Court Farmhouse, newly reopened this year. Make it your space! Students only.

    3pm- 4.30pm

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    Biodiversity Booster - Winter Moths

    Wednesday 11th February 

    Get your Biodiversity Boost this week with a moth survey. We will be identifying and releasing moths trapped onsite overnight and appreciating the variety of native species flying in winter. Students only.

    Drop in 10am- 12pm

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    Wellbeing Café @Hothe Court

    Tuesday 17th February

    A weekly Wellbeing Café session with a chance to chat, craft, chill and connect with nature in the relaxed surroundings of Hothe Court Farmhouse, newly reopened this year. Make it your space! Students only.

    3pm- 4.30pm

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    Biodiversity Booster - Stumpery plus

    Wednesday 18th February

    Get your Biodiversity Boost this week making new habitats by helping to build a new stumpery and log pile insect city at Hothe Court to encourage more local wildlife to move in. Students only.

    Drop in 11am- 1pm

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    Wellbeing Café @Hothe Court

    Tuesday 24th February

    A weekly Wellbeing Café session with a chance to chat, craft, chill and connect with nature in the relaxed surroundings of Hothe Court Farmhouse, newly reopened this year. Make it your space! Students only.

    3pm- 4.30pm

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    Biodiversity Booster - Spring nectar

    Wednesday 25th February 

    Get your Biodiversity Boost this week hunting out plants in flower on site. We will be exploring colour, scent and shape, considering habitat value and what we can do to increase spring nectar sources. Students only.

    1pm- 2pm

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    Wellbeing Café @Hothe Court

    Tuesday 3rd March

    A weekly Wellbeing Café session with a chance to chat, craft, chill and connect with nature in the relaxed surroundings of Hothe Court Farmhouse, newly reopened this year. Make it your space! Students only.

    3pm- 4.30pm

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    Biodiversity Booster - Hedgerows

    Wednesday 4th March

    Get your Biodiversity Boost this week with a focus on Hedgerows. We will be closing in on the garden hedgerows, exploring clues to id them and assess their health and habitat value. Students only.

    11.00am- 12.00pm

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    Monthly Seed Sow and Grow

    Wednesday 4th March  

    Come down to KentCOG and help get the garden growing by joining our Spring term seed sow activity. Plant this month's seeds in seed trays and compost to grow in the polytunnels on site.

    No experience necessary.

     1.00 - 2.00pm

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    Wellbeing Café @Hothe Court

    Tuesday 10th March

    A weekly Wellbeing Café session with a chance to chat, craft, chill and connect with nature in the relaxed surroundings of Hothe Court Farmhouse, newly reopened this year. Make it your space! Students only.

    3pm- 4.30pm

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    Biodiversity Booster - Pond dipping

    Wednesday 11th  March 

    Get your Biodiversity Boost this week with a dip in the COG pond. We will be finding out who's living on and under the water and making it ready for Spring.  Students only.

    11.00am- 12.00pm

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    Wellbeing Café @Hothe Court

    Tuesday 17th March

    A weekly Wellbeing Café session with a chance to chat, craft, chill and connect with nature in the relaxed surroundings of Hothe Court Farmhouse, newly reopened this year. Make it your space! Students only.

    3pm- 4.30pm

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    Biodiversity Booster - Bumblebee Buzz

    Wednesday 18th  March 

    Get your biodiversity boost this week up close to bumblebees with a catch, id and record session. Results are reported monthly to Bumblebee Conservation Trust national survey. Learn as we go.  Students only.  

    1.00pm - 2.00pm

Image gallery

KentCOG Voices

Hear directly from some of the people who are part of the project about what KentCOG means to them, what they get out of the project, and the kinds of things they get up to when taking part.

Upcoming sessions, workshops and events

Social media accounts