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?
Join our Saturday morning gardening club this summer
Volunteers from the Friends group will be getting together for an hour each Saturday morning starting this month to clean, trim and water Whitfield Gardens on the corner of Tottenham Court Road and Tottenham Street. The gardens have suffered from neglect and vandalism but recently due to the efforts of the Friends group the heavily … Continue reading Join our Saturday morning gardening club this summer
Saturday morning clean up and wildflower planting in Whitfield Gardens
Volunteers from the Friends group spent an hour cleaning and planting in one part of Whitfield Gardens this Saturday morning. The volunteers did a "community clean up" and worked with Camden Council's contractors Veolia and idverde. On a rainy morning the Friends cleared a bin bag full of rubbish at the foot of the Fitzrovia … Continue reading Saturday morning clean up and wildflower planting in Whitfield Gardens
Oaks and hornbeams make a return in Whitfield Gardens and Crabtree Fields
"By the time London was first colonised by people, it would have been covered by oak and hornbeam woodland," says the London Wildlife Trust. Yet there are no oaks or hornbeams in Fitzrovia's public open spaces... until this month. Now the Friends have planted saplings of English oak and hornbeam along with other native trees … Continue reading Oaks and hornbeams make a return in Whitfield Gardens and Crabtree Fields
