Quite a lot of fungi has emerged out of the ground in Crabtree Fields this week after all the rain. The visible part of fungi is the mushroom or toadstool and is the fruit of the underlying mycelium, a system of fine threads that stretches out beneath the mushroom in search of water and food. … Continue reading Fungi pop up in Crabtree Fields
Repairs and maintenance at Crabtree Fields this autumn and winter
The Friends group have asked Camden parks' department to make a repair to the pergola at Crabtree Fields after a section of timber broke on Friday 11 October. The Friends group fenced off the area under the pergola and alerted Camden to carry out an urgent repair. The Friends have identified further repairs where sections … Continue reading Repairs and maintenance at Crabtree Fields this autumn and winter
This is why park hedges should not be cut in the spring and summer months
Farmers are not allowed to cut hedges between 1 March and 31 August to protect the habitat of nesting birds. The same guidance should be applied to public parks in our cities, yet all too often it is ignored. Using machinery such as hedge trimmers and leaf blowers can disrupt the habitat, disturbing nests. Birds … Continue reading This is why park hedges should not be cut in the spring and summer months
Red campion flowers in a Whitfield Street tree pit
This native British wildflower, Red campion (Silene dioica), is flowering in a tree pit in Whitfield Street, Fitzrovia. This flower is one of a number of important pollinators and although not often seen on the streets of London is quite a common plant seen in woodlands and on roadside verges. The flowers have grown from … Continue reading Red campion flowers in a Whitfield Street tree pit
Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) blossoms in Crabtree Fields
The first of our small blackthorn trees is blossoming in Crabtree Fields, adding to the variety of plants to support wildlife. Blackthorn, also known as sloe, is a small deciduous tree native to the UK and most of Europe. Because it is early flowering it provides a valuable source of nectar and pollen for bees. … Continue reading Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) blossoms in Crabtree Fields
Trimming the beech hedge at Crabtree Fields
Friends have this winter trimmed the large beech hedge in Crabtree Fields. We reduced the height of the hedge by about 30 cm and gave the sides a light trim to encourage thickness. Volunteers used hand tools and the work was done over a couple of weeks in February. It will need a further trim … Continue reading Trimming the beech hedge at Crabtree Fields
Snowdrops, daffodils and a new hawthorn tree in Crabtree Fields
Spring is on its way in Fitzrovia's open spaces. The Friends planted a number of different woodland-floor flowers last year and the first of those are blooming now. Snowdrops have been out for a couple of weeks and daffodils are starting to bloom. Expect to see more surprises popping up later this spring. Camden Council … Continue reading Snowdrops, daffodils and a new hawthorn tree in Crabtree Fields
Those wildflowers that didn’t die in June’s drought are now starting to bloom. But please don’t pick them
Pictured is the second of our corncockle flowers to bloom as part of our Grow Wild project supported by Kew Gardens. The first to bloom was on Friday morning and was promptly stolen by the afternoon. A shame because around 90 percent of the wildflowers we planted died in early June due to the dry … Continue reading Those wildflowers that didn’t die in June’s drought are now starting to bloom. But please don’t pick them
Some colour and some scented wildlife-friendly additions to Whitfield Gardens
Our Saturday morning gardening club has been busy over the last two Saturdays cleaning and planting in Whitfield Gardens. Our main aim has been to plant native shrubs and wildflowers but we've also added a few cheap and cheerful plants to give the gardens a bit of instant colour. We've added ten different types of … Continue reading Some colour and some scented wildlife-friendly additions to Whitfield Gardens
Why are there piles of leaves and clippings left on the ground in Whitfield Gardens?
"Why are there piles of dead leaves and bits of plants left on the ground? It makes the park look untidy. Can't you take them away?" This is a question someone asked us recently, and there is a simple answer. Removing the fallen leaves and cuttings from garden maintenance requires someone to bag them them … Continue reading Why are there piles of leaves and clippings left on the ground in Whitfield Gardens?
