Outdoor classroom fundraiser

The Friends of Frendsbury Garden, in west Brockley, have launched a fundraiser, which ends this evening, to support the development of an outdoor classroom in the park. They write:

"Frendsbury Gardens is an inner city community garden located within Brockley. To ensure the diverse community can be use the garden all year around we want an outdoor space that could be used for gardening in the rain, chilling with friends or as a performance space.

"We want it have lots of bright colour so that the educational space is both functional in keeping people dry but is a piece of art in of itself. The timber deck is shaped like a leaf and is made from recycled materials. The classroom is designed to be quick, cheap & easy to construct by volunteers, and it aims to inspire those who build and use it."

To support the project, click here.

Little Explorers in Frendsbury Gardens

Little Explorers is a group that meets regularly at Frendsbury Gardens in west Brockley. The next event is June 19th, from 10am-11.30am. They explain:

Each week our under 5s play group explore the outdoors through a variety of activities that encourage an interest in nature. Some of the things we might get up to include:

• Beastly bug hunts
• Gardening
• Painting with pine cones and sticks
• Making mud pies

At our session the children will get a chance to make something to take home, join us on an exploratory walk, and enjoy a story and a fruit snack.

Click here for more information about the group.

Gardening Workshop, May 10th

Sow and Grow workshops, April 12th

Lewisham's green spaces in top 10 nation-wide

Lewisham has won 14 Green Flag Awards from Keep Britain Tidy, giving it the joint-seventh-highest score for local authorities nationally. Green Flags are awarded based on criteria including cleanliness, management and safety.

Lewisham borough picked up 13 Green Flags for its outstanding parks, including Hilly Fields, Ladywell Fields and Telegraph Hill Park while Horniman Gardens, which is managed by the Museum Trust, also collected an award.

Lewisham also retained several Green Flag Community Awards (formally the Green Pennant Award) and picked up a new one for Frendsbury Gardens, the West Brockley park that was transformed in 2008.

Councillor Susan Wise, Cabinet Member for Customer Services, said: “I’m especially pleased that Frendsbury Gardens has received an award. As one of our newer open spaces, it’s a great example of how a community, supported by the Big Lottery fund, has turned around a disused space into something which is now award-winning.”

Click here for the BC Greenspaces map.

Friends of Frendsbury Gardens

Tom, from Frendsbury Gardens writes:

We're having our 1st AGM on 16th August from 6.30-8pm at the Broca Cafe, Coulgate Street.

We'd love to see some new faces either as potential committee members, volunteers or just people who want to know more about this fantastic community garden.

We're bounded by Frendsbury Road in the East, Pincott Place in the West, Honor Oak Estate in the South and the Crofton Park-Nunhead trainline in the North.

On the first Saturday of every month we hold a 'Bug Club' for young children and their parents to learn about wildlife. Earlier in the year we got funding to get a large Porta-cabin to store our tools in and have a small classroom. Our current priority is getting the toilet in the cabin connected to the mains but that's a long story. We have a large crop of fruits and vegetables most of the summer. Passers by are welcome to pick any food they find. We're not precious.

Even if they can't commit long term we always need help with weeding and deadheading so if people could spare a few minutes as they are walking by that would be great.

You can also follow them on Facebook.

Easter at Frendsbury Gardens

Brockley Central readers are invited to an Easter Fun Day at Frendsbury Gardens (Frendsbury Road) on Sunday 17th April, 11am till 2pm, to raise money for a Club House for kids.

There will be games, an Easter egg treasure hunt, free crafts, refreshments and a raffle with prizes kindly donated by local businesses, such as a dinner for two at the Royal Oak. There will also be stalls for hire.

If anyone is interested in renting a table for the day they can ring Ema directly on 07956 956 116. For further information ring that number or email: emafelix@hotmail.com.

This is also another opportunity to plug the Frendsbury Gardens Bug Club, who meet once a month and whose recent achievements include the construction of a Bug Hotel, bird feeders and spider web frames. Follow them on Facebook.

The Big Bulb Plant

"And that was the only folly the people of Springfield ever embarked upon. Except for the popsicle stick skyscraper. And the 50-foot magnifying glass. And that escalator to nowhere...''
- The Simpsons, Marge vs the Monorail

There are world records and there are world records. The Friends of Frendsbury Gardens are going for an eminently achievable sounding bulb-planting record-breaking attempt on October 31st, but since it's an opportunity to remind everyone of the existence of this lovely pocket park, so much the better. A very small amount of dedication is what you need:

The Friends of Frendsbury Gardens in conjunction with The Rotary Club and Brockley Cross Action Group, will be planting 2500 crocuses at Frendsbury Gardens and other SE4 locations on 31st October 2010 as part of a bulb planting record attempt. This is also an opportunity to raise awareness about immunising children against polio, which is an objective of the Rotary club.

They aim to beat the current record of 331 people planting 5 bulbs each in an hour so need as many people as possible to come and support the attempt. If you are interested in participating, please contact: friendsfrendsburygarden@gmail.com

Organic gardening sessions at Frendsbury Gardens

Brockley Central has had enough of winter. The snow wasn't snowy enough to earn us a day off work but more than enough to double our commuting time, the cold has been incessant and there have hardly been any blue sky days to break the gloom. We think we may have killed a houseplant by exposing it to the open air for 12 hours too.

So we're pleased to see that Frendsbury Gardens is gearing up for spring with a new calendar of free gardening classes, from 11am – 2pm. They are:

Sat 27 Feb: Sowing seeds - start organic gardening
Organic gardening - Q&A. Tools identification, safe use and care.
Seed sowing practical. What are you going to grow? (6 less common vegetables). How are you going to grow? (6 ways). Questions

Sat 6 Mar: Design an organic garden - everything you need to know
Aspect, water conservation, lawn care (practical), composting (practical). Questions.

Sat 13 Mar: Pond and wild flower planting (family friendly, drop-in session) 11am – 4pm
Pop in during the day when we will be planting up the new pond with aquatic plants such as Soft rush and Arrowhead. We will also plant the surrounding area with wildflower seed and plug plants such as Ragged Robin and Wild Carrot.

Thurs 18 Mar: Weeds - tackle them the organic way
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) - biological, cultural and chemical. Weed identification (practical) - bring in a weed from your garden (root as well).

Thurs 1 Apr: Garden pests & diseases - deal with them the organic way. Grow your own floral bouquets. Integrated Pest Management (IPM). Pest & disease identification. Flowers for cutting.

Sat 24 Apr: Make a hanging basket with a difference (family friendly)
A mixed edible and non-edible plants. All materials provided. Booking essential.

Please call Gareth on 020 8314 2071 or email gareth.schweitzer@lewisham.gov.uk for more information or to book a place.

Frendsbury Herb Garden

Gareth, who runs the Frendsbury community garden project, will be working with volunteers to plant a range of herbs next weekend. You're invited to take part.

The planting will take place on Saturday 27 June 2009, between 11am and 3pm. The hands-on session will include ground preparation, planning, planting and caring for the herbs. Everyone is welcome. Refreshments will be provided. Disabled access.

For this workshop children under the age of 13 years must be supervised by a parent or responsible adult at all times. Please email Gareth Schweitzer to book a place.

Mosaic meeting off

The mosaic workshop planned for tomorrow has had to be postponed as the artist has fractured their wrist and, rather than rearrange the bone fragments in to a delightful pattern, wants to let it heal. New details:

Saturday 28 February 2009
Time: 10am – 12pm
Place:
Honor Oak Community centre
50 Turnham Road
SE4 2JD

Frendsbury Gardens Mosaic Workshop

Frendsbury Community garden would like to invite you and yours to a free, family - friendly Mosaic Sculpture workshop.

The workshop will be run by an artist and the aim is for everyone to make pieces of mosaic and ceramics that will be build into the final sculpture in the garden .

Saturday 14 February 2009

10am – 12pm

Honor Oak Community centre
50 Turnham Road
SE4 2JD

Refreshments provided. Disabled access.

Spaces are limited, so please call Gareth on 020 8314 2071 to book or for more info.