Meadow picnic - Saturdy 4th June!

Now that the meadow slowly but surely bursting into bloom, it's time to celebrate with a picnic among our amazing wildflowers!

So bring something to eat, a blanket, and everyone you know to the meadow from 11am-3pm on Saturday 4th June.

As well as eating til we pop, there'll be plenty things we can do on the meadow too - like building beetle habitats and planting woodland flowers. So if you think you'd like to get stuck in, bring some sturdy shoes along as well.

See you on the 4th!

Tree waterers wanted!

Last year, we were lucky to have artist Pedro Reyes come to Mabley Green to plant a healthy, young walnut tree with us. But to make sure it grows into a healthy old tree, it'll need some extra watering until it's roots get properly established. This is especially important with the super-dry weather we're having.

So if you're a dog walker, a jogger or a regular Mabley Green user, next time you're heading to the park, why not take a bottle of water with you for our lovely new tree?

Our young walnut is next to the flyover on the Mabley Green side, near one of the benches by the path. Here's a slightly wider picture...

Looking at the bigger picture, the walnut is a bit of a test for Mabley Green. Because due to funding cuts, Hackney Council have disbanded the team that cared for young trees. And without them, the Council won't want any more planted on the Green...unless we can prove that together as a community, we can care for them ourselves. So if we work together and water this tree through the summer, Hackney Council will have no choice but to let us plant more!

Spring roundup

Despite the unseasonally dry spring we're having, our flowers have not only survived the drought, they're positively thriving! Here are the rewards of all the hard work we did a couple of months ago.

Meet the amazing Gary!

Everyone, say hello to Gary! As well as being an an unbelievably nice guy, Gary is also an expert wood and stone sculptor. AND he's agreed to create some hand-carved benches for the meadow this summer.

Gary carves his benches using logs from trees felled in Hackney's parks for safety reasons, and usually carves them in his workshop in Haggerston Park. But he'll be mixing things up a little for us.

First, he's agreed carve our benches on site (either on the meadow or below the flyover) so we can see watch him as he works, and even have a go ourselves.

Second, he might be able to get hold of some oak from further afield - which would mean our benches would last forever, and be extra special too.

Here's a question for you:
Gary will be carving two or three benches for us. So where do you think they should go? Leave your answers in the comments...

Gary will start carving in June or July (depending on when he can get the logs), so keep an eye on the blog for more details soon. And keep an eye on the meadow for beautiful new benches too!

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.