Mayow Park Community Orchard

Today, four Friends of Mayow Park attended the Orchard Leaders Training run by London Orchard Project in preparation for a new community orchard planned for Mayow Park in January 2012. We met at Myatts Fields Park in Lambeth.  Our training included fruit tree planting and maintenance, community engagement and starting to write an orchard management plan.  

London Orchard project will lead the community planting day in January and we hope a good number of people can participate.

We have some great ideas for future events based around the orchard and would like to hear ideas from other people. Park users can be involved in care and maintenance of this Community Orchard by contacting friendsofmayowpark@ymail.com .  

To give you a flavour of the fruit varieties, the proposal is for five apple varieties on MM106 semi-dwarfing root stocks, three pears (including two perry pears) and two varieties of plum.

We are looking for individuals or community groups to sponsor the fruit trees. If interested please email friendsofmayowpark@ymail.com

REMINDER: planting on 4th December 2011

Friends of Mayow Park invite you to join us on Sunday 4^th December 2011 from 11am to 1pm. We will plant two fruit trees, some fruit bushes and various herbs in the Pavilion Triangle.Please wear suitable clothing and bring tools such as a trowel or spade if possible.
The Triangle is directly ahead if entering at the park entrance opposite Burghill Road.

If digging is not for you, why not bring along tree stories to tell (myths, folklore, legends and true stories).

For further details please email friendsofmayowpark@ymail.com  or look us up on Facebook.

fruit bushes and herbs for Pavilion triangle beds

Shopping today to buy fruit bushes and herbs for the Pavilion Triangle. Fruit bushes: blackcurrant and whitecurrant. Herbs: Winter savory, oregano, curry plant, hyssop, lemon thyme and chives. These and the fruit bushes previously purchased will go into the ground at the 4th December planting event.

National Tree Week 4th December 2011 event

To celebrate National Tree Week, the Friends of Mayow Park are organising a gardening session  on Sunday 4th December 2011 from 11am to 1pm at the Pavilion Triangle. There will be a chance  to plant trees and fruit bushes.  If you would like to help with digging and planting please bring suitable tools.

What is National Tree Week?
First celebrated in 1975, National Tree Week is UK's largest annual tree celebration and starts the winter tree planting season.
National Tree Week gives communities a chance to do something positive for their local treescape. Each year many groups around the country support the initiative by setting up fun, worthwhile and accessible events, inspiring over a quarter of a million people to get their hands dirty and together plant around million trees.

Dacres Wood Reserve open day 23rd October 2011

Close to Mayow Park, the small reserve at Dacres Wood was open to the public today. Around 70 people visited, including volunteers from Forest Hill Society who provided refreshments and gave guided tours. Children were given 'scavenger hunt' activity sheets to help them get up close to the wildlife in the reserve. Steve Grindlay gave an excellent talk on 'Art and Artists in Forest Hill and Sydenham' at midday, repeated at 2pm.
There seems to be great interest in starting up a Friends of Dacres Wood. Such a group would be able to open the reserve to the public more frequently and do some nature conservation work to improve the different habitat zones around the site. Anyone interested in helping to set up this group should pass on their contact details to alona@foresthillsociety.com .

Raising the Green Flag on 21st October 2011

The Mayow Park Green Flag was raised today at 2pm. Attending the flag raising were Glendale staff, Greenscene and the Friends of Mayow Park. Thank you to Glendale for the preparations and to Fred who installed the flagpole. Fred is in the second picture about to raise the flag. Thank you to everyone who has worked to improve the park.
And I forgot to mention two local councillors who are very supportive of the Friends of Mayow Park. Thank you Susan and Chris!

weeding and mulching in the Triangle

Huge thanks to Marina and Suzy for their recent and ongoing work in the Triangle. Suzy has been patiently weeding round the plants we want to keep and her efforts are clearly visible.
Marina was determined to finish putting another thick layer of woodchip mulch on the log-edged, windy path near the bigger plant bed . . . and she finished today, on such an extremely hot day.