Plugs a'plenty!

The planting session on Saturday was a great success! So now the areas around our amazing new benches are full of perennial wildflower species, which (if all goes well) will flower year after year without us having to lift a finger. We planted what are called 'plug plants', which are tiny little seedlings you buy in trays. The good news: they're super easy to plant - we planted 100 in less than an hour. The bad news (for now): they don't look like much at the moment. But if they like their new home, they'll look spectacular next summer.

We also put in some Camissia bulbs, which will look amazing. So next spring, take a seat on the sunny bench, and keep an eye out for something a bit like this:

Planting day - Saturday 26 November

Long, balmy autumns are perfect for planting - and we couldn't have been luckier this year. So on Saturday 26 November, come along to the meadow between 10am and 2pm and plant a wildflower or two.

The species we'll be planting are all perennials, so if they like their new home, they'll flower year after year without us having to lift a finger.

All tools will be provided, and all ages welcome.

See you there!

Engine gets stuck in.

The nice folk at Engine love our meadow - and we love them right back! Over summer, they turned their offices into a woodland plant nursery for us. Then last week, they came all the way out to Mabley Green to muck in and lend us their green fingers for a day.

We started out by planting seedlings that were raised by the Lea Bank Square gardeners as part of our growing scheme - a long row of Hemp Agrimony for the butterflies and some Foxgloves for the bees.

Then we got digging and made a beetle loggery from tree branches that Hackney Council had kindly collected for us. After lying in the undergrowth for a couple of weeks, the logs were already full of creepy crawlies, so we should have beetles in no time!

Thanks again Engine. You rock!