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.

Big news from BIG LOTTERY

Considering this is such MASSIVE news, it's taken a little while to make it onto the blog. But The Big Lottery have awarded the meadow a grant through Awards for All!

The funding will help the meadow become bigger and better. So one of the first things we'll do is get some park benches for the space. Then, we'll use the rest of the money to buy tools, run workshops, plant more bulbs and generally make it one of the best spaces in Hackney.

If you want to know more about the grant, and have some ideas for how we can use it, your suggestions are more than welcome! Just send an email or leave a comment. Or come along to the next Mabley Green Users Group meeting - details for the next one will be on here shortly...

The daffodils keep on coming!

Hands up who wants to see more pictures of our new daffodils?

If you're waving your hand in the air, like you just don't care, then scroll down.

If not, and you're getting a bit tired of the daffophilia that's been taking over this blog lately, don't worry. Daffodil season is almost over for the year. Though there's a possibility that bluebell-mania will take over soon. Apologies in advance.

More signs of spring

If you're visiting the meadow, don't get stuck admiring the profusion of daffodils by the path. Thanks to our spectacular mammoth bulb planting effort in autumn, there's plenty more to see if you head a bit deeper too. Like crocuses...

And bluebells! (OK, maybe these aren't worth the walk just yet. But they're just getting started!)

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.

Bloomin' lovely

Spring is here. Hooray!

Seed sowing day! Saturday March 19th!

Save the date! Because on Saturday 19th February, we'll be giving spring a kick up the pants by sowing the next batch of meadow seeds.

On the day, we'll be:
- digging over the ground next to the path to make it nice and wildflower-friendly.
- sowing colourful annual seeds (and a few perennials for good measure).
- putting up our temporary fencing again using coppiced logs provided by Hackney Council.

But wait, there's more!

We'll also be making a start on a spectacular new addition to the meadow: A BLUEBELL WOOD! We planted some test bulbs in autumn, and they seem to be doing just fine. So now we'll expand our efforts, and start creating a these beautiful sea native of flowers below the trees.


The details:
When: Saturday 19th March, 11am-4pm.
Where: Mabley Meadow - between the A12 flyover and Eastway, on Lee Conservancy Road. Click here for a map.
What to bring: sturdy shoes, a packed lunch, and all your friends and neighbours.

Seeing you there!