Author: Caroline MacMillan

The snowdrops planted last year have been flowering in the southern border since Christmas and have now been joined by celandines and crocuses whilst a lot more bulbs are pushing through the soil’s surface and will form a colourful swathe beside the path. Bulbs planted by the local scout group will soon be brightening up the northern border and the Gardening Friends have put a low willow edging here, the willow comes from trees cut back by the Council on Wormwood Scrubs.

During the last few weeks a considerable amount of ivy has been removed from the border between the dog area and Cobbold Road which will help the roses flower more easily during the summer, there is still some digging to do here and children from Wendell Park School and also cubs and scouts from the 28th Hammersmith Group will then be able to help with the planting. Ivy is also been removed from the Cobbold Road gate pillars.

More bushes, shrubs and plants have been ordered which will fill out the south and north borders, they should arrive Friday 1st March and we will be planting them on that day and the also the morning of Saturday 2nd March, volunteers are most welcome to come and help.

Regular users of Wendell Park will have seen a group of dedicated volunteers watering the newly planted south border during the long summer heatwave, some days bringing heavy plastic containers of water on shopping trolleys and doing it by hand and other days running a hose from nearby houses until the council installed a tap in the park and we could run a hose from there.   Apart from one tree, everything appears to have survived the summer heat, including the two new birches planted in the dog exercise area.

Several volunteers (adults and children) joined the first Saturday of the month maintenance days when weeds (which seem to flourish regardless of the temperature) were removed, persistent new snowberry shoots popping up through the soil dug out and some necessary pruning was done.

As the summer progressed, the sunflowers and nasturtiums grown and nurtured by children from Wendell Park School brightened up the bed between the dog exercise area and Cobbold Road.

We have now started removing the ivy which completely covers the north border and once it is dug over shrubs will be planted on this bed which enjoys the sunshine particularly in winter months.

We have ordered over a thousand new bulbs and will be planting them on between 10 am and noon on Saturday 6^th and 13^th October in both the north and south bed, we hope families will come as it is a great opportunity for children to get involved.