Poplar HARCA has been planting nectar-rich flowers to help bees and other pollinators on its estates, as well as brightening up the scenery for its human residents. Over the last two years, around 50,000 bulbs of a “Bee Mix” have been planted at Rounton Road, Sleaford House Green (see header photo), Baxter House (photo left) and the Diamond Garden beside Wytham House. Wildflower plugs and seeds have also been planted, at Dewberry Street and Rainhill Way, with a total of over 800 square metres of amenity grass transformed with colourful, nectar-rich flowers. At the diamond garden, even more flowers have…
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Butterfly Conservation write: Take part in our Plant Pots For Pollinators scheme this month and help butterflies, bees and other declining species. Discover why pollinators are important, download a planting guide and shopping list, plot your pot on the map and find out how pollinator-friendly your neighbourhood is. There are 1,500 pollinating species in the UK, including bumblebees, honeybees, hoverflies, beetles, wasps, butterflies and moths. We know that more than 70% of our butterflies are declining in number, with species starting to disappear from some areas altogether. The problems faced by butterflies spell bad news for all pollinating insects and…
Open Garden Squares Weekend is an opportunity to feed your curiosity and explore over 230 private, secret and little-known gardens across 27 London boroughs over one very special weekend. Gardens range from the historic and traditional to the new and experimental, and include private gardens, roof gardens, community allotments, gardens belonging to historic buildings, institutions, cafés, schools and shops. One ticket gives access to numerous gardens across the weekend. This year’s Open Garden Squares Weekend is on 17-18 June 2017. Adult tickets for the whole weekend are £13 in advance or £15 from gardens on the day, children aged 12-18…
The Friends of Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park write: Looking for something new for your children to do in the school holidays? Why not try Forest School at Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park? Forest School is made up of a very wide range of experiences and adventures, which can include bush craft skills, whittling, fire lighting and cooking on fires, through to bug hunts and bird watching. Children can also take part in tailored activities, designed to help them connect to their environment through arts and crafts, games and science based investigation activities. The unique, natural environment of THCP is at the…
Crested newts have been known to occur in the ponds at Spitalfields City Farm for 20 years or more, the result of an introduction of newts to a nearby garden pond. However, the farm’s ponds are also home to non-native Alpine Newts and European Tree Frogs, presumably from the same source. There has always been an element of doubt, therefore, as to whether the crested newts were the native Great Crested Newt, which is strictly protected under national and European Union law, or the extremely similar, non-native Italian Crested Newt. These two species are almost impossible to separate with certainty…
Local entomologist Rosemary Stephens photographed a Glass-winged Dronefly (Eristalis similis) in Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park on 1 May. This is the first record of this nationally rare species in Cemetery Park, and indeed the first in London. Rosemary commented: “That was a lovely find on Sunday! My son and I had a lovely walk around and did a bit of exploring off the path, which was really interesting. We spotted the hoverfly near the open grass patch near the railway side. I had no idea it was Eristalis similis when I spotted it, until I looked at the photo when…
Ken Greenway of the Friends of Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park writes: On Saturday 29 April 2017, the Friends of Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park launch an innovative “Plants and People” trail. The trail encompasses woodlands and meadows in a very rich natural environment, which won the Royal Horticultural Society’s “Britain in Bloom” National Award for Wildlife and Conservation 2016. The trail’s theme is the human connections of wild plants. Plants are loved for their own sake and they are a fundamental part of our cultural heritage of language, literature, science, folk-lore and practical use. They provide us with food, drink and…
The London Wildlife Trust writes: The Wildlife Trusts have joined forces with The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) to urge gardeners to do more to help protect bumblebees and solitary bees, heroes of the pollinator world. We launched the campaign from the Centre for Wildlife Gardening on BBC Breakfast, with our ecologist Mike explaining how easy it is to do your bit for bees. Bees are under increasing pressure due to habitat loss, not just In the countryside but also in cities, as gardens are lost to decking, tarmac and brick. In 2017, Wild About Gardens is calling on people to…
Beth Summers of the Women’s Environmental Network writes: A Celebration of Nature, Health and Wellbeing It would be great if you can join us for the next Tower Hamlets Food Growing Network Spring Gathering on Thursday 6th of April, 10.30am-3pm, at Southern Grove Community Centre, E3 4FX. The Spring Gathering is a celebration of local ‘green’ projects that help us feel better inside by getting outside! This will bring together local people and projects who are passionate about nature from community gardens, city farms, walking groups and balcony farmers. Fun gardening workshop Mindfulness walk Interactive Stalls Local health support services…
Tunde Morakinyo of the Friends of Meath Gardens writes: PLANT MORE TREES! Friends of Meath Gardens, PAVEGEN and Tower Hamlets Council come together to plant 70 trees in a community park. The Friends of Meath Gardens (FoMG) is a community association established to improve Meath Gardens, for the people in the local area and for wildlife. A year ago, they developed a master plan for the gardens in close collaboration with the Council. This included a tree planting plan, which aimed to create wildlife corridors, linking wooded habitats in the park and also acting as a screen for noise from…