Summer Bedding, Wildflowers and a Big Day of Planting in Didsbury Park
TODAY
Last Tuesday, in record May temperatures, we took delivery of nearly 2,000 colourful new summer bedding plants from MCC. With help from Sandra, and Allan we unloaded and stored them in the volunteer's shelter and then watered them daily so that they were all looking good and ready for us to give priority to planting as many as we could today. So it was all hands to the pumps this morning, with virtually all our 46 volunteers today involved in planting these new bedding plants around the park at some stage or other. In addition to our regular volunteers today, we also welcomed 14 volunteers from NatWest. and a new local volunteer called Steve.
Winnie also brought along her young friend Walter and his grandad to help her and dad Andrew do a great litter pick, right across the park. Picture 1 shows Winnie, young Walter and Grandad posing for a photo with Brenda before heading off on their litter picking! In the background of picture 1 you can also see Grace who I am delighted to report was also well enough to be able to join us again today.
We also welcomed back Julie after her African safari and Lucy who turned up despite having a broken finger. Everybody was made very welcome.
TODAY - THE WILDFLOWER MEADOW IS IN BLOOM
The one thing we are learning from developing a wildflower meadow is that every year it is different. This year's surprise is that although we can count at least 14 different varieties of wild flowers in the meadow, we are currently being dominated by ox-eye daisies. Whatever the reason for this - it is still looking very beautiful.
Picture 2 shows Kevin searching out all the different varieties of wild flowers and in picture 3 Kevin is joined by Julie, Ilma and Lucy as they admire the splendour of the meadow.
It was agreed at the AGM in March that given all the hard work which has gone into creating this additional lovely space in our park, that it would be nice if the Lord Mayor would formerly open it for us in June when the meadow would be at its best. He has been invited - but we have had no response yet.
TODAY - LET'S GET PLANTING
Here are a few of the planting activities which took place across the park this morning:
Picture 4 shows the amazing improvement in the roundabout flower bed where many of the NatWest team firstly cleared the old tete-a-tete die-back leaves and weeds and then planted it up with lots of vibrant red non-stop begonias. Thank you all. This made a huge difference.
Picture 5 shows Denise and Louise with even more non-stop begonias being added to the flower beds around the volunteer's shelter. Thank you both
Picture 6 shows Anne W and Sandra tidying up the triangular bed before adding some mixed geraniums. Thank you
Picture 7 shows Jane with new boys Felix and Steve planting more geraniums in the flower bed behind Buddy and Lucy. Thank you all.
Picture 8 shows John planting lysimachia in the rockery. Well done John. Thank you.
Meanwhile Tristan planted ivy around the moss garden. Thank you Tristan
Picture 9 shows Alan transferring healthy plants from existing flower beds where we needed to make space for the new plants. Well done Alan - a very necessary task.
There was also a lot of focus upon tidying up the flower beds leading to the Wilmslow Road gate today. There were a lot of people involved in removing the old tete-a-tete leaves (and what an improvement this alone made). Picture 10 shows Anne G returning to the skip with a wheelbarrow laden with tete-a-tete dead leaves. Wendy, Joyce, Julie, Jude and Lucy as well as a big support team from NatWest were all involved in removing tete-a-tete dead leaves, planting an assortment of summer bedding plants and spreading woodchip. All this work made a huge improvement to the flower beds along this path. Thank you.
TODAY - ELSEWHERE IN THE PARK
Thank you to Brenda for once again tidying up around the Gillbrook Road entrance.
Gill N and Grace did a great job today topping up the dog bag dispensers. Thank you.
A big thank you to Alan for not only spotting, but for also cleaning off the recent appearance of graffiti on the Poppy Path.
Carl N did a good job clearing away fallen branches at the top of the park - thanks Carl.
The quartet of Adam, David, Patrick and Taylan worked together and did an amazing job on the tree bases on the main field. This whole area was dramatically improved as the tree bases were all weeded and tidied up before a layer of woodchip mulch was applied around each one. This work made a huge improvement to how the park looked in this area. Excellent work guys- thank you.
And last but by no means least, Gary once again not only did a splendid piece of work on the cricket pitch (mowing and marking) but he also did a much-needed maintenance job on the line marker. Great work Gary. Thank you.
LAST WEEK - TWO VERY CONTRASTING EVENTS
LAST WEEK - SUCCESSFUL PUBLIC REACTION TO LITTER BIN ISSUES
Ever since we have existed as a volunteer group we have always had a major problem with litter in the park whenever the weather has been fine. As the park has improved year on year, the park has become ever more popular as a beautiful place to sunbathe, picnic or just hang out on a sunny day. Whenever we have had a fine day in the past it is usual for the litter bins in the park to be completely overwhelmed and for the squirrels and large birds to forage in the open bins at dawn the next day. As a result, the litter is spread far and wide on the ground near the bins and the park looks a mess.
This week therefore as an experiment, whenever it was a fine day we visited the park midway through the day and loosely attached one or two large bin bags to the side of the bins. Remarkably the next morning there was no litter spread around the park and the public had used every newly attached bag to a large or lesser extent. This simple experiment was a phenomenal success and one we hope to carry on with once our current bins have been enhanced.
LAST WEEK - DEPRESSING BEHAVIOUR BY A GANG OF 12 / 13 YEAR OLDS ON BIKES
Sadly and most annoyingly I have to report on the anti-social behaviour of a gang of young teenagers in the park during half term week. On Thursday afternoon I had a call at home from an extremely upset ice cream lady who was being harassed, surrounded and intimidated by a gang of teens on bikes and she did not know what to do. Both, park security and the police were informed. The police response was amazing because before I had got there to support her, from my house, the police arrived just ahead of me and the gang fled as soon as they heard the lady calling the police. I hung around doing some watering but all seemed quiet but on leaving the park Jo from the cafe came rushing up saying that her donation box (for none cafe customers using the toilets) had been stolen. The police are aware of this too.
The next night (Friday) I had a text from the ice cream lady saying that the gang were back and so she had decided to leave the park early but that the gang had large logs and were on the volunteer's shelter roof. I immediately called the police and went round to the park to be shortly joined, this time by 6 police officers - but again the gang had gone. It is just a matter of time before they are caught. Can you please be vigilant and if you know of any information which will help the police to catch this gang can you please let us know.
Thank you once again for your amazing support.