If you go down to the meadow today...

You're in for a nice surprise. It's looking incredible!

The thick grass is a haven for butterflies, birds and insects - and perfect for a picnic.

Look closely and you'll see native bluebells all over the meadow - so all our had work planting bulbs is paying off!

The wild herbs planted by the gardening club last summer are thriving - and the fruit trees love their new home.

Look closely, and you'll find wild garlic growing in the long grass.

Currants! These will be delicious in a couple of months.

Unlike lawns, in a meadow, the more dandelions the better - bees love them, and they look amazing en masse.

Come take a stroll down our flower-lined paths, then take a seat on our hand-carved bench and enjoy a bit of wild London!

May flowers

They say April showers bring May flowers. But torrential rain in May brings these little beauties! The meadow's just gearing up for summer so keep checking back because these spring flowers will be in bloom soon.

A future field of blooms!

Dandelions aren't every gardener's cup of tea, but the bees love them - and so to us wildflower gardeners.

Cow Parsley, thriving among the long grass.

A native bluebell! There aren't loads of these growing (sadly), but if you look carefully, you'll see a few among the grass.

Bulbs and wildflowers getting ready to bloom.

Bluebell planting and willow weaving workshop - Sunday 25 September

This weekend's going to be fantastic - with not one but two great events happening on the meadow. So come on down on Sunday 25 September from 12pm-4pm and get stuck in!

Bluebell Planting

Artist Penny Sabudin will be helping bring the endangered British Bluebell back from the brink by leading a planting session in the meadow. So next spring we'll have the makings of our very own bluebell wood! Come along, learn how to plant these rare beauties and help save them from extinction.

Willow weaving workshop

Penny will be joined by fellow artist Elsa Godfrey, who's weaving a giant ball made from willow stems. (You might know Elsa's work already - she made the huge woven ball in Clissold Park). Everyone's welcome to add a stem to Elsa's newest project, and learning about willow weaving along the way. It's a great activity for kids, and a thanks to the flyover, we'll be able to weave rain or shine.

See you there!

A bluebell wood in the making

After not one but two rounds of bluebell planting in the meadow this spring, Hackney's very own bluebell wood is beginning to take shape.

Sadly, the already-sprouting bulbs we planted in March haven't done too well. Most likely because of the incredibly dry weather in April. They just couldn't cope!

There were a few survivors though, so they'll spread out next year. And the bulbs we planted in autumn fared really well. Here's are some pics of this year's crop:

Penny's bluebell planting also made it into the Hackney Gazette. If you want to revel in the meadow's 15 minutes of Gazette fame, take a look at a of the article below.

Easter bluebell planting

If you're about on Good Friday, the superbly generous artist Penny Sadubin will be adding some more bluebells to the meadow. So if you'd like to lend a hand with the planting, head on down.

Penny's been growing the bluebells in her studio for a piece of work for an upcoming exhibition Landscapes of Change at BHVU Gallery in Stoke Newington. But now that she's finished her artwork, she's kindly donating them to the meadow for us all to enjoy.

If you'd like to join Penny plant out her bluebells (and join her for a lovely, sunny picnic), head to the meadow at 1pm on Friday 22 April.

Penny's also a bit of an expert when it comes to bluebells. So if you have any questions about these delicate native flowers, Friday will be the perfect time to ask!

Have an amazing Easter - and there'll be another picnic date on the way soon.

Seed sowing success!

The seed-sowing extravaganza on Saturday was a massive hit! First, spring turned on some amazing weather for us - the sunniest, hottest day of the year yet. Second, we had loads of new recruits turning up to get stuck in. And third, we got everything done!

The third point is perhaps the most impressive because it involved planting 1000 (yes one THOUSAND) bluebells. A big thank you to everyone who came down. With a bit of luck (ie, rain), our huge effort will pay off when we have native bluebells flowering in May, and our wildflower explosion in June.