New tree pits on 29 April - please come and help . . .

On Saturday 29 April we'll be out on Plimsoll Road, just at the end of Chatterton Road London N4.

The plan is to take up some of the brick paving, clear out the rubble and concrete around the tree bases and put in new soil. Then we'll add a few flowers and plants.

That should be enough to get this end of Blackstock Triangle buzzing. We hope to have cakes and tea, so that we run as a well-oiled gardening team between 9 and noon.

It would be great to see a few new faces there, especially people from Islington and other gardening groups.

I am sure that, rain or shine, we'll have a great time !

Blackstock Triangle links are at
https://outofmyshed.co.uk/tag/blackstock-triangle-gardeners/
https://outofmyshed.co.uk/btg/
http://www.islingtongazette.co.uk/news/gardeners-gear-up-for-islington-in-bloom-1-4044529
http://www.throughthegardengate.co.uk/blog/?tag=blackstock-triangle-gardeners
and
http://www.islingtonfacesblog.com/tag/blackstock-triangle-gardeners/

       SEE YOU THERE ON THE 29th

Existing tree base on Plimsoll Road -
Lots of room for a new flower bed here.

Existing tree base on Plimsoll Road -
Lots of room for a flower bed here as well.

Brand new tree on Plimsoll Road -
could be good for a tree pit and flower bed as well . . .

An example of what we do on Chatterton Road

A bigger tree pit on Chatterton Road with a fence around it

Chatterton Road, another variation of how a tree pit has been done, around a new tree

       SEE YOU THERE ON THE 29th

Tree Trimming Time is Nigh . . .

The excitement has been mounting, ever since the Council put these notices all up and down our road last week.
What would the 'tree guys' clear, and what would they leave ? Would they take care to not trample our seven tree pits, situated rather precariously just under each of the trees ?

We needn't have worried.
They told me early today when they were revving up to get chain-sawing that they been given special instruction to be
really, really careful about the flowers.
And, gosh golly, they have been.
Not a single flower squished,
from all the branches they cut down.
Well done, team at KPS Trees . . .
see you in two years' time again . . .

Autumn in the City

Winter platings, including cyclamen. The geraniums are still blooming but the lovely petunias have gone to the great compost heap in the sky . . .

The sunny side of the tree pit at the Blackstock Road end of our street. 
Winter will be challenge for our tree pits; we're thinking of digging out this pit 
nearest our house and putting in deeper soil for next year.

Cyclamen amongst the alyssum and geraniums n the pit in front of the restaurant Pizzadelique . . .

Very pretty and abundant at this time of year . . .

Geraniums galore . . .

Bursting out all over  . . .

Our tree pit and 'front garden pots' help to brighten up the 'commercial end' of Chatterton Road . . . You can also see the 'street library' box on the wall behind, which has recycled maybe fifty books this year,  all to willing new owners. . . 

Summer in the City

These are six of our tree pits in early August, about four months into our project to green our road in North London.

We'd like your comments back on how they look. We'd also like to know what you think we could do to make it look better.

We've done most of our work on an ad-hoc basis, although we now do talk to each other much more than we ever did before.

We had a very cool and damp Spring, and a VERY hot and dry June and July. The rain is starting again this week.

These pictures were taken on the weekend just gone. There's another twenty-five trees in our short road and maybe next year we can green a few more. I have lots of flower seeds and Gro-Bags for those who'd like them . . .

Olden Gardens knees-up today and St Thomas' knees-up next Saturday

             Olden Community Party at Whistler Street today . . .


Should be a great time. They've got lots of space, an orchard, I believe a community room and lots of music on offer from 2 pm today in the glorious sunshine. We're going, maybe see you there . . .

                                Street party next Saturday . . .

 and this is a definite must on the Finsbury Park calendar. Again, see you there . . .

                                      All the details  . . .

BBC Weather for Finsbury Park next Saturday says it's cloudy and 20 Celsius 
http://m.bbc.co.uk/weather/6690588/day6 
for more information . . . 

Plant Bring and Take on 04 June

                      Franc from 1A at Plant Bring andTake

Yesterday we gave out or sold about fifty plants, from 9 am to noon. it was a great success; we met and chatted to lots of neighbours and made new contacts in the road.

Some plants were donations from Naomi at Blackstock Triangle, some were donations from my friend Don who's a very keen plant person, and many were those I'd grown from seed.

We made over £ 40, which just about covered the cost of buying the seeds and other costs. I do still have half-hundred weight coffee sacks and compost - both very nice compost and the slightly less nice but still useable soil, for people to take away for prow-bags in front gardens.

Something I forgot to put out were boxes of seeds. If you want some just come and ring our bell and we can give you seeds to start your flower garden . . .

It is now too late to start a tree pit from seeds this season. You could do what we did and use bedding plants, which would show up very well within a week or two of planting out. We don't know a lot but we are really keen and really happy to chat to fellow residents about what we did and what worked for us.

Thanks very much to Kirsty and others for putting new books into the street library (this is on the wall next to our front area). Since we put it up in April there must have been fifty books through it and it has generated lots of comment from passers-by. Any duplicates we pass on to the charity shop. We've had lovely children' books, lots of novels and one or two philosophy books pass thorough, all to avid readers, judging by the short length of time some stay before moving on.

Summer's here and enjoy the holiday sunshine . . .

Wonderful New Tree Pits in Bloom

Pizzadelique's New Tree Pit

    
Radi & Vili, the waitresses at Pizzadelique, are really happy to have this new tree pit to brighten up the front of the restaurant. A week on at the beginning of June and there's already lots more flowers in this pit, so come and have a look. Our pit in front of 1A is doing well, as you can just see in this photo.

        Self-seeded in front of No 7. Looks lovely with poppies

            Tree pit with hard-working creators in front of No 35

                          Self-seeded in front of No 57. 

This looks OK, and the two trees behind could be candidates for a tree pit as well.

                      Brand-new tree pit in front of No 36 - 38


Great start and a work-in-progress

                        Great tree pit in front of No 32 . . . 

                       Another great tree pit in front of No 16.

And here's Karl trimming the hedge at No 5, with some very important ladder-holding as well . . .