The Open Spaces Panel
The purpose of the Open Spaces Panel is to:
Protect and enhance open spaces for all
Defend open spaces and nature from neglect, deterioration or loss
Ensure all open spaces are sufficient for the future
Convenor: Judith Chegwidden, judith.chegwidden@gmail.com
The Panel meets monthly and members are very welcome to join our meetings and raise any concerns that they have about our open spaces.
Our main focus over the next few months will be our Front Garden Award Scheme. Designed to encourage residents in central Putney to plant rather than pave their front gardens, this scheme aims to encourage wildlife, reduce the risk of flash flooding and to make our streets more attractive to walk along. To join in and do your bit to make Putney blooming marvellous, late April is the time to start planting up. See the side panel for useful tips on planting containers. Judging will take place from 5 June to 24 June.
Our volunteers continue to help to maintain the Putney Tower Parklet on the corner of Charlwood Road and will be putting in new plants over the next month preparing for the London in Bloom judges who will arrive in midsummer.
We liaise with other groups focusing on maintaining our parks and open spaces – including the Friends of Wandsworth Park and Wimbledon and Putney Commons Conservators.
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Enable, who manage the Council's Open Spaces, are running an "On Your Street" campaign, which will be live until the end of October.
They are asking all residents of Wandsworth to contribute by filling out the survey aimed at understanding the impact that private gardens have on biodiversity in Wandsworth.
The short survey asks Wandsworth residents about the food, shelter, water, and connectivity their garden provides wildlife. Enable are working with Greenspace Information for Greater London CIC (GiGL) to identify biodiversity corridors, areas of connectivity, and the impact private gardens have on biodiversity in Wandsworth.
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In 2009 the Government published a booklet “Guidance on the permeable surfacing of front gardens”* which is even more relevant today!
As the document says: “The drains in most urban areas were built many years ago and were not designed to cope with increased rainfall. Paving front gardens further adds to the problem. Although paving over one or two gardens may not seem to make a difference, the combined effect of lots of people in a street or area doing this can increase the risk of flooding.”
Click here to read or download
*Crown copyright
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Click below to see recording of Mark Wasilewski, Park Manager of St James’s Park and The Green Park talk on “The Changing Face of Horticulture’ to our April meeting.
Mark illustrated about how the ways in which we garden have changed over the last few decades and the implication for all gardeners, including park managers and those involved in London in Bloom.
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The Putney Society 2024 Front Garden Awards for roads in central Putney is aimed at encouraging more people to plant flowers in front of their house.
For those without a lot of space flowers in containers can produce a colourful display. And for beginners The Open Spaces Panel have produced a quick guide to successful planting summer plants (annuals) in containers.
Simply click below:
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A timely reminder about the importance of our gardens in conserving our wildlife (data courtesy of the Financial Times 06/01/24). The UK's gardens make up an area that is bigger than all our wildlife reserves put together, an area that equates to about one-fifth of Wales.
The 2023 State of Nature report stated that one in six of our native species are at risk of extinction. It is more important than ever to make sure that our gardens are wildlife friendly and to call a halt to the loss of green space to concrete and paving.
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Recording of the Meeting with Lucy Hart on Planting for Biodiversity at Fulham Palace
Posted on May 27, 2023
At the May 2023 Putney Society meeting the speaker was
Lucy Hart, Head Gardener at Fulham Palace who gave an illustrated talk on
‘Increasing biodiversity in the gardens of Fulham Palace - including planting for drought conditions’.
To listen to the recording of the meeting please click of the link:
The Open Spaces Panel
The purpose of the Open Spaces Panel is to:
Protect and enhance open spaces for all
Defend open spaces and nature from neglect, deterioration or loss
Ensure all open spaces are sufficient for the future
Convenor: Judith Chegwidden, judith.chegwidden@gmail.com
The Panel meets monthly and members are very welcome to join our meetings and raise any concerns that they have about our open spaces.
Our main focus over the next few months will be our Front Garden Award Scheme. Designed to encourage residents in central Putney to plant rather than pave their front gardens, this scheme aims to encourage wildlife, reduce the risk of flash flooding and to make our streets more attractive to walk along. To join in and do your bit to make Putney blooming marvellous, late April is the time to start planting up. See the side panel for useful tips on planting containers. Judging will take place from 5 June to 24 June.
Our volunteers continue to help to maintain the Putney Tower Parklet on the corner of Charlwood Road and will be putting in new plants over the next month preparing for the London in Bloom judges who will arrive in midsummer.
We liaise with other groups focusing on maintaining our parks and open spaces – including the Friends of Wandsworth Park and Wimbledon and Putney Commons Conservators.
-
In 2009 the Government published a booklet “Guidance on the permeable surfacing of front gardens”* which is even more relevant today!
As the document says: “The drains in most urban areas were built many years ago and were not designed to cope with increased rainfall. Paving front gardens further adds to the problem. Although paving over one or two gardens may not seem to make a difference, the combined effect of lots of people in a street or area doing this can increase the risk of flooding.”
Click here to read or download
*Crown copyright
-
Click below to see recording of Mark Wasilewski, Park Manager of St James’s Park and The Green Park talk on “The Changing Face of Horticulture’ to our April meeting.
Mark illustrated about how the ways in which we garden have changed over the last few decades and the implication for all gardeners, including park managers and those involved in London in Bloom.
-
The Putney Society 2024 Front Garden Awards for roads in central Putney is aimed at encouraging more people to plant flowers in front of their house.
For those without a lot of space flowers in containers can produce a colourful display. And for beginners The Open Spaces Panel have produced a quick guide to successful planting summer plants (annuals) in containers.
Simply click below:
-
A timely reminder about the importance of our gardens in conserving our wildlife (data courtesy of the Financial Times 06/01/24). The UK's gardens make up an area that is bigger than all our wildlife reserves put together, an area that equates to about one-fifth of Wales.
The 2023 State of Nature report stated that one in six of our native species are at risk of extinction. It is more important than ever to make sure that our gardens are wildlife friendly and to call a halt to the loss of green space to concrete and paving.
-
Recording of the Meeting with Lucy Hart on Planting for Biodiversity at Fulham Palace
Posted on May 27, 2023
At the May 2023 Putney Society meeting the speaker was
Lucy Hart, Head Gardener at Fulham Palace who gave an illustrated talk on
‘Increasing biodiversity in the gardens of Fulham Palace - including planting for drought conditions’.
To listen to the recording of the meeting please click of the link:
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Your garden is key for helping to support local wildlife and biodiversity. Private domestic gardens cover 716 hectares in Wandsworth, which is almost 20% of the Borough’s total area. Please complete this short survey to help Enable better understand Wandsworth’s biodiversity.
Enable are working with Greenspace Information for Greater London CIC (GiGL) to identify biodiversity corridors, areas of connectivity, and the impact private gardens have on biodiversity in Wandsworth.
The survey is available from June 2024 to October 2024, and only needs to be completed once during this time.
Data are collected by GiGL and handled according to their data protection obligations and responsibilities; for GiGL's full privacy policy and further information see here. Any personal details given will only be shared with Enable for the purpose stated.
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