Community planting in the Orchard Garden
Photo credits: Michael Eleftheriades; Richard Rose; Dominic Rose
On the afternoon of Sunday 17th November around 100 volunteers of all ages gathered in Lyttelton Playing Fields to help with the next stage of developing the Henrietta Barnett Community Orchard into a wildlife friendly orchard garden. In just three hours an extraordinary 3,000 spring flowering bulbs were planted, across five “meadows” that had been kindly prepared by Barnet Council.
Before even a single bulb could be planted, there was a huge amount of work to be done raking up the top layer of grass cuttings so that yellow rattle and wildflower seed can be sown on top, and the heavily compacted ground certainly made the work of digging holes for the bulbs a challenge. Luckily many hands made for light work, and teamwork prevailed with the young and old working side by side, plus a few helpful dogs, and by the time the sun set every single bulb had been planted.
The bulbs were generously funded by Barnet Council and the HGS Residents Association, and are a mixture of naturalising species, which means they will spread themselves around over time. The majority were “Tenby Daffodils” which originate from Dyfed and are a national emblem of Wales. Together the bulbs will make for a spectacular display in Spring, and provide much valued nectar for wildlife at a time when few plants are in flower. As the bulbs die back in late spring, they will be replaced by wildflower mix meadows sown on top which will continue the display, and benefit for wildlife, right through into Autumn.
As if planting the bulbs was not enough work, a dedicated team of “diggers” also planted a circular hedge of 35 unusual honeyberry plants, sourced for free from a helpful contact. These will fruit in late spring with a blueberry like berry, which can be eaten raw or in jams and jellies.
We were lucky to be joined by Harriet Duffield, the Biodiversity Officer for Barnet Council; Michael Mire, the Garden Suburb Councillor and Sarah Sackman KC MP, our local Member of Parliament and Solicitor General. All are huge supporters of both the ambitions for the community orchard and the wider Britain’s Biggest Living Garden project, with its aim to make the area the most biodiverse urban part of the UK. Sarah spoke about her childhood spent playing in the park, and the importance of community action to drive change, and reflected on how exciting it was to see so many young people involved. She sent the following thank you note:
“I just wanted to follow up to say what a fantastic time I had at the community bulb planting session on Sunday. It was a really special community event and great to see so many different generations getting stuck into the planting. Thank you so much for inviting me and organising such a wonderful afternoon. Please do let me know of future projects; I’d love to join you on future occasions.”
The members of Bishopswood Bowling Club generously offered their club house to be used as a base camp for the volunteers and laid on a spectacular tea that was enjoyed by all. We are hugely grateful to their support. Thanks also to Lola’s cupcakes for donating 60 cupcakes and to Finn and friends for his fantastic cookie stall which raised £60 for Children in Need
The next session is planned for Sunday 19th January - when 200 whips will be planted into a boundary hedge. If you would like to come along and help, please join this whatsapp group to stay informed: https://chat.whatsapp.com/DH68tihpDYCHE73tUhfh2l
