The seeds of what would become the Wendell Park Gardening Friends (WPGF) were sown in August 2017 when local resident Simon Grange advertised on NextDoor for ‘guerilla gardeners’ to come and make Wendell Park more beautiful. The park was suffering from neglect and had too many large, gloomy shrubs and not nearly enough flowers.
In 2019 the WPGF signed a memorandum of understanding with the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Removing litter, emptying bins and collecting of green waste has been outsourced to maintenance company, while the council retains responsibility for looking after the trees in the park and mowing the lawns. The planting and care of the flowers beds is the responsibility of the WPGF, in friendly cooperation with the council.
We receive no grant or funding from the council so all the money for buying plants has to come from fund-raising, outside grants or private donations. We are also very active in keeping the park as litter-free as possible.
Over the years we have planted thousands of flowering plants, bulbs and shrubs and greatly improved and diversified the planting in the flower beds. Attractive railings (bought on eBay!) have been installed in some sections of the park. In 2023 an area with a wide range of edible plants was created in the picnic area, with the specific aim of getting small children interested in gardening.
We are grateful to Hammersmith Community Gardens Association (HCGA) and corporate volunteering organisations for the extra help they provide to maintain the park.
Organisations That We Like
Hammersmith Community Gardens Association
Wendell Park Primary School’s junior bulb planters
Kite Studios – a creative studio for all on Bassein Park Road
idverde Community Investment Fund
28th Hammersmith Scout Association
The Boutique Adventurer Travel Magazine
Archive
Click here to see our archive of posts about Wendell Park.