20140308-09 Planting In the WLA

The Friends of Surrey Square Park had some legacy funds from the previous 2012 Cleaner, Greener, Safer award (thanks to Julian and his perseverance in perusing a small print clause contained in the complex agreement with the contractor).

Some of it was spent on saplings that we desperately needed to repopulate the Wild Life Area after the works on the area and the protracted problems we had with the contractor had left the place denuded.

We had the plants (some 200 hundred of them) the mycorrhiza solution, some spades and one mattock. All that was needed was some elbow grease... and a couple of day of good weather. We spread the voice that the week-end some planting would take place and hope for the best.

We started with the front fence by digging a long trench alongside it. The trench was needed because the undersoil was made of rubble and needed to be removed. A difficult job but one that needed to be done.

As the planting got underway some of the local children children wanted to join us and it is important that the park should be recognized as one part of the collective effort of the community put into living together.

They enjoyed with supervision in the planting ans soon where quite proficient.

We left at sunset with a good feeling and hope to able to complete the labour intensive task for the next day.

Unfortunately the Sunday morning did not start well. Someone during tha night had eradicated some of saplings and we were a little puzzled why. However soon replanted them and no lasting harm was caused by the incident. (Later a neighbour come down to tell us he so one of the neighbouring estates gang had crossed the area at night after a shoot-out against a rival one in a long standing turf war. As the run away from some police arriving, they had easily displaced the prickly whips. Well this is not battersea...).

Soon people start arriving, a local resident that asked for its too large house-plant to be relocated there, families of friends and their children and the motley crew of the park lovers in our community.

With more supporters arriving we stopped briefly for refreshments and a breather but were determined to use most of the daylight and the fortune of a clement weather.

Soon we restarted with one idea: more plants in the soil less outside!!

Eventually we did so well that we had even time to put up some palings, we scrounged from the Wildlife lawn in the main body of the park (needed to be taken away in any case) to protect the newly positioned shrubs and saplings.

After a rousing speech from Daniel, our leader ;-), we were happy at last to relax in the evening and enjoy the returning wanders of the WildLife Area.

Well done everybody!!