The Aviva Community Fund: Vote for Marnock Road community garden

The Crofton Park and Honor Oak Park Neighbourhood Forum is fundraising to improve the public garden in Marnock Road (Crofton Park). Member Kay writes:

We have big plans for the Railway Garden and need your help to make them a reality! Firstly, we'd like to thank all those who voted for the project at the Crofton Park Ward Assembly. We succeeded in getting the grant! This will help with our continued efforts to make small improvements.

We want this little green space to be a local resource for everyone to use and to realise this vision, we have estimated works of about £100k. This will deliver:

- a new accessible entrance with a ramp down to the garden
- accessible pathways
- new planting areas
- removal of more rubbish
- increasing the biodiversity on site
- improving our mini woodland area for outdoor learning

To achieve this goal, the team have been hard at work applying for funding and seeking match funding, including bidding for £25,000 via the Aviva Community Fund. We would be grateful for readers' votes in support of our bid.

Please sign-up to vote here.

Luxmore Gardens spring bulb planting

The nicening of Luxmore Gardens continues. Be a part of it.

The Nunhead Gardener, Nunhead

The Nunhead Gardener (1a Oakdale Road) is a charming gardening shop tucked under an archway next to Nunhead Station.

Although it doesn't have the floorspace to compete with larger garden centres for equipment, trees and larger plants, it offers a beautiful range of plants and pots for window boxes, borders and around the home.

Gardeners' Question Time at Prendergast

Greenseers

“No one truly knows, Bran. The children are gone from the world, and their wisdom with them. It had to do with the faces in the trees, we think."

- Master Luwin, Game of Thrones

These mysterious drawings, flyposted on a brick pillar on Manor Avenue have generated much excitement among the BCers who've seen them.

Is this a plan for a community garden idyll? Or just idle fancy. No-one knows and there are no more details to be found.

If you're involved with this project(?) please let us know what's happening. Thanks to Dianne for the photo.

Coming soon: The Brockley Station Energy Garden

Brockley is set to be one of the first London Overground stations to create an Energy Garden.

The Energy Garden initiative will transform up to 50 London Overground platforms and stations into gardens that will incorporate food growing plots and solar energy providing on-site renewable energy for lighting, water pumps or other small scale station amenities.

The gardens will be created over the next two years and, thanks to Brockley Station's large green areas, it will be one of the first to benefit.

The Energy Garden project is a partnership project delivered by Repowering London, Groundwork and Transport for London. If you're interested in finding out more, or even getting involved, please visit the website.

Brockley's back gardens targeted by developers

A BCer who wishes to remain anonymous has been targeted by a property developer who's trying to buy a part of her garden, in order to develop housing at the back. She notes:

Since I don’t actually own the garden - the downstairs flat does - it’s a moot issue, and I am not sure how it would work in reality, as the houses are terraced and I presume access would only be gained via one of the mews (which is a long way away from where our property lies). Also, I’m pretty sure it would contravene the Conservation Area guidelines.

But interesting to note that Brockley is becoming so popular now they are trying to buy up our back gardens.

Brockley is blessed with very large gardens by the standards of zone 2/3 London and is prime territory for developers, but while BC supports filling in every bit of available brownfield land, the loss of these gardens would damage the character of the area, as well as starting a thousand wars between neighbours.

The Plant Fairs Roadshow, May 30th

A Field in New Cross

The Field is a community project designed to create a new public garden space on the west side of New Cross. The team behind the vision want to convert a Queens Road garden into a place with facilities to support local self-organised activities, events and projects.

They explain:

This isn't just a community garden! This is an experiment in the act of collectively creating new common space, in negotiating its use, how its run and maintained so it can to meet the diverse needs and interests of everyone who uses it.

• We will build a workshop to host practical events, classes & projects.
• The workshop will be a resource with the tools for people to make, repair & experiment.
• A glasshouse will provide space for group meetings & classes, as well as for growing.
• An outdoor kitchen will make neighbourhood meals, events and People's Kitchens possible.
• We will create growing spaces to experiment with urban agriculture methods, including a roof-garden.
• A covered social area will be created for us to meet, for public events, performances, film screenings and parties.

They are half-way to their fundraising target of £10,000 and you can find out more and back the project here.

The Railway Garden BBQ

Get involved with a community garden project in Tressillian Road

Pam writes:

I'm interested in creating a new Brockley community garden (or perhaps allotments) on a patch of land owned by the GLA at the bottom of Tressillian Road. The land has lots of well established trees and plenty of space to create a really beautiful garden which would turn this site from an eyesore into a wonderful resource for community groups.

Any hints, tips or offers to join in? I live near the site and when I spoke to Lewisham Council about the idea of turning it into a garden, they encouraged me to get more local support as a first step.

If people are interested, they can contact me via Twitter.

Crofton Park Community Garden open day

The Crofton Park Community Garden was born from a patch of wasteland next to the railway line, located just off the high street, behind Terry's All Locks. The team behind the project are now looking for volunteers and donations of plants to help bring the garden to life.

There is a volunteer day on June 1st, 2pm - 5pm, open to anyone. Gloves and tools will be provided but wear sturdy footwear and bring your favourite spade or fork if you have one - plus any plants you can spare.

Gardening Workshop, May 10th

Seymour Gardens gets its garden

Residents of Seymour Gardens (West Brockley) have opened their new community garden, built with £20,000 of funding from the SITA Trust. The garden provides a new focal point for the 20-year-old estate.

Get involved with the Old Tidemill School and Garden

Naomi writes:

Old Tidemill School, Frankham Street, SE8 4RN

Come and discover Deptford’s hidden gem, the Old Tidemill School and Wildlife Garden.Old Tidemill School will come alive with a hive of activity, every Saturday throughout Autumn/Winter, come design and make with us D.i.W.O style, have fun and get involved.

On Saturday 16th November, ITV will be filming at Tidemill as part of the Peoples Millions – come to the school to show your support! Join in with forest school and tree house art lab activities, enjoy card games, refreshments and cooking on the fire and much more!

Assembly is a group of artists and designers working with local residents, running projects that are creative and engaging, using the school as a test lab for experiments and ideas. Assembly were recently awarded a Pocket Park grant to transform the garden into an accessible and unique wild space in the heart of Deptford.

So, if you’re a maker, a baker, a doer or shaker or simply want to talk and be involved in your local community then pop down. We’re looking for eager volunteers like us - so get in touch! All activities are free and led by volunteers. Children accompanied by parents.

The 2013 Brockley Front Garden Sale

The first ever Brockley Front Garden sale is tomorrow, 11am-4pm.

More than 50 houses are taking part. You can see the full list of gardens on the BrocSoc website and look out for bunting and balloons indicating participating houses (or children's birthday parties you might want to crash).

Summer gardening workshops with Common Growth

Carlo writes with news about free gardening workshops for kids and adults run by local group Common Growth:

First up is the kid's workshop on Wednesday 7th of August called herb spiral fun. It is suitable for children of all ages and runs from 10.30-12.00, and will involve fun learning activities, games and singing.

After that there will be an adult's workshop on Saturday 17th of August called Herbs and their uses and will run from 10.30 to 12.30. As usual this will be a mix of learning and practical activity.

The workshops are informal and fun, and it’s a great way to learn a few more gardening skills and share tips with other gardeners.

If you would like to attend any workshops, or want more information, then please text Rich on 07901 360321 or email commongrowthuk@gmail.com giving the name of attendees and a contact telephone number. Places will be allocated on a first come first served basis. All courses are free, but we suggest a £3 voluntary donation to help cover the costs of materials.

Common Growth Community Garden, Sandbourne Road (on the corner with Jerningham Rd), SE4 2NS. 

Lewisham's Secret Gardens

UP Projects' "Spontaneous City in the Tree of Heaven"

UP Projects says:

Working in partnership with Lewisham Council, we will launch, a series of new public art commissions this summer. Connected by the Waterlink Way, a cycle and foot path that follows the Rivers Pool and Ravensbourne, a series of new, temporary, permanent and digital public art commissions will investigate four parks, responding to their unique characteristics, communities and ecology.

Launching in July 2013, Secret Garden Project Lewisham will manifest in Sue Godfrey Nature Park, Cornmill Gardens, Ladywell Fields and Riverpool Linear & Bellingham Play Park and will encourage people to discover and use urban green space in creative ways. These artworks form part of the pan-London Secret Garden Project, a programme of environmental art commissions curated and produced by UP Projects.

The first commission to launch will be artist in residence, Rebecca Beinart, who will explore Sue Godfrey Nature Park, Deptford, drawing upon its rich history of local activism, trade and the home remedies that has made Deptford High Street renown. Hosting medicine making workshops, monthly shared meals and conversations with local residents, Beinart seeks to question the wider issues surrounding land use/regeneration and departure of plant knowledge amongst urban communities.

Travelling down to the South of the borough, local digital artist duo, Close and Remote, will be taking to the air, water and land on an expedition to offer a new perspective of Riverpool Linear and Bellingham Play Park. Through a series of events, participants will use radio controlled smart technologies, miniature cameras and binaural microphones to capture different vantage points of the River Pool and Ravensbourne. Utilising GPS technology and the captured film footage, they will develop a free mobile app that will lead visitors off the beaten track, to discover the unique soundscape of this ecologically rich park.

Later in the year, two permanent artworks will be developed for Cornmill Gardens and Ladywell Fields, launching in March 2014. Working in consultation with local residents and park users to shape the nature of these interventions, the works will draw upon the unique characteristics of each site.

Emma Underhill, Director, UP Projects said:

“We are really pleased to have the opportunity to take the Secret Garden Project to Lewisham and work in a series of fascinating green spaces that will provide a rich context for artists to respond to both in terms of local heritage and also ecological value. The four commissions that we are developing for Lewisham will be an exciting addition to the wider Secret Garden Project portfolio.”

Councillor Susan Wise, Cabinet Member for Customer Services at Lewisham Council, said: “We are very fortunate to have one of Inner London’s greenest boroughs and our parks are well loved and well used. The Secret Garden Project is a great idea and it should encourage even more people to discover Lewisham’s wonderful green spaces and to look at them from a different perspective.”

Secret Garden Project Lewisham is an UP Projects production, working in close partnership with Lewisham Borough Council, and is supported by the Arts Council England.

Full details of the commissions and associated events will be posted on the project website www.secretgardenproject.co.uk

Flying Ants - Day of reckoning

James Lesko: We knew then, that we were being changed... and made part of their world. We didn't know for what purpose... but we knew, we would be told.
- Phase IV

BC's flying ant eruption occurred last weekend, so we fear this might be a little late (or we have unusually precocious ants):

The Society of Biology is calling for records of flying ants to be submitted online at www.societyofbiology.org/flyingantsurvey Last year they received over 6,000 reports of flying ants and hope to beat this in 2013.

The 2012 flying ant survey unexpectedly revealed two flying ant days, but will this be the same in 2013? Professor Adam Hart from the University of Gloucestershire is part of the 2nd year of the flying ant survey.

He says: “Each summer flying ants erupt from the ground seemingly without warning, as new queens leave the nest to mate and found their own colonies. “They often emerge simultaneously over large parts of the country, and many people know this as ‘flying ant day’, but we wanted to find out whether there really is one single day.

Interestingly, in 2012 there were two main flying ant days, two weeks apart. But is this the same in other years?

Pictures and experiences can also be shared on Twitter using the hashtag #flyingantsurvey, and photos tagged ‘flyingantsurvey’ on Flickr will be uploaded to our Flickr group.

With thanks to Fabhat.

Breakspears Mews Community Garden