St Marys Therapeutic Garden is a place of beauty, an oasis in the heart of Lewisham. It was created through a joint collaboration between the Ladywell Unit (SLaM) and St Marys Church in 2017, to promote mental well-being through gardening. Professional Gardeners from Sydenham Community Gardens, designed and project managed over fifty volunteers, who generously gave their time to transform an underused part of the churchyard.

It has perennial beds, wildflower meadows, an orchard, a woodland area and raised beds for vegetables and salads. These are looked after by volunteers, including some from the Ladywell Unit, Mind and Elysium Healthcare. Regular gardening sessions take place every Tuesday afternoon, 1-3pm, when everyone is welcome to join in. Benches and pergolas have been donated in memory of loved ones, and it is open for visitors to enjoy everyday.

The following poem by St Anselm (d. 1109) sums up the Christian ethos of the Garden,

Come now,

Put aside your busy-ness for a while,

Take refuge for a time

From your troublesome thoughts:

Throw away your cares,

And let your burdensome worries wait.

Take some time off for God:

Rest for a while.