Open Garden Squares Weekend at Winsford Gardens 9th June 2012
Come and get into the swing of summer with the Penge Green Gym volunteers at Winsford Gardens (SE20 7RN).
In conjunction with Open Garden Squares Weekend, on Saturday 9th June Penge Green Gym will be opening the gates of Winsford Gardens wide and inviting the public in to check out all the hard work they have put in to transform this park into a pretty wildlife haven. The volunteers have been meeting every Wednesday since May 2011 to turn this run-down park into a community garden so do come down and share this fabulous space. Entry will be free and gardens open from 11am to 4.30pm.
The lawns are a great space for picnics amongst the tranquil surroundings.
The volunteers will be happy to show you around the gardens. With its wildflower meadows, orchard, veg beds and wildlife habitats you can pick up tips to create your own wildlife garden at home.
Kids can join in with making bird feeders and bug hotels, both great ways to encourage nature into even the most urban garden.
Arrgh! A treasure hunt for all ye scurvy landlubbers– explore the gardens at your leisure and also find hidden booty whilst ye be at it.
Purchase some organically grown flower and veg seedlings for your garden.
For enquires please contact gg-penge@tcv.org.uk or 0207 843 4273. We look forward to seeing you there!
Transform Penge with the Green Gym
This April and May we have a host of free opportunities with The Conservation Volunteers' Green Gym in Penge.
We will be working to transform Winsford Gardens and have some really exciting tasks planned out for this spring. We will be busy making use of our fabulous new greenhouse to propogate enough plants and veg to fill the gardens with vibrant colour and wildlife. We'll also be buidling new raised veg beds, digging herbaceous borders and sowing wildflower meadows.
Getting involved is simple, just call The Conservation Volunteers on 07740 899 689, or email GG-Penge@tcv.org.uk to find out more or book your place. See you soon!
Listen to an interview with Penge Green Gym Project Officer Lizzy Johnson,
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The Conservation Volunteers Green Gym in Penge is delivered in partnership with The Glades Shopping Centre and LB Bromley.
Winter Green Gym Poem
Exercise is healthy, some swim and others run
But come and join the Green Gym, it really is great fun
To join it costs you nothing, yes it really is for free
Not like any sports gym, there really is no fee
Cleaning out the runnels, chopping up a tree
Stopping to take a breather and have a cup of tea
And if you’re nifty with a spade or rake
You’ll even be offered some homemade cake
Mending bridges, hanging gatesand some weeding too
Find a job for all of us there is nothing we can’t do
Come and join the workers, get weight off those bellies
You don’t need posh shorts or trainers just a pair of wellies
by
AG (Chipping Norton Green Gym )
Celebrating the official launch of Penge Green Gym
On 7th July 2011, after a fantastic 7 weeks of Wednesday sessions comprising more than 318 volunteer hours, The Conservation Volunteers and London Borough of Bromley hosted an event to celebrate the volunteer's hard work and dedication to the project, and the successful partnership with Glades Shopping Centre.
Glades staff joined volunteers in pruning and weeding the ornamental beds; planting up our aromatic herb garden; and constructing a hazel fence to cordon off an area of lawn to be developed as a native wildflower meadow. Following the practical activities, participants received a big thank you from Councillor Smith for all their hard work, and enjoyed a well-earned lunch prepared by a local cafe, courtesy of LB Bromley. All in all a fantastic day, thank you to all those who came along!
Watch this video from our launch
Green Gym Launches in Penge!
Wednesday 18th May saw the launch of the Green Gym in Penge. A fantastic turn out of volunteers helped to make this day a resounding success, a big thank you to everyone who came along!
The work to transform Winsford Gardens got off to a great start and the ornamental beds were given some much needed care and attention. Volunteers got their hands (or rather gloves) dirty with digging over the beds to remove weeds, discovered new muscles with the tough work of edging the borders to impede the encroaching grass, and re-discovered some hidden gems under the ever-expanding shrubs and creeping ivy.
A dramatic difference was made to the gardens in just this short time, so just imagine what can be accomplished!
Winsford Gardens is looking stunning at this time of year, a really lovely place to come and spend a few hours so do come down and join us, we have a whole host of activities planned.
