The Pits

Well the patch will really appreciate the rain. Meanwhile, on a miserable trip to locate an ATM in order to bribe the incompetent moody goons that came to remove our broken washer/dryer and install a new one.... I noticed the tree pits at the back of Morrisons. Not the really miserable rubbish dumps in the car park, but in the little square thing near Wren St (i think). Miraculously the council planted two Magnolias there and at least one of the tree pits - the one in my line of sight when crossing through 'Butterfly Walk' [there is a Camberwell Beauty Butterfly apparently] - looks diggable and not over likely to have people walk over it. I'm thinking that some of my white daisies [Leucanthemum] and Euphorbia Robbiae would look good there...

Guerrilla Girls Fight Back

Finally did some team Guerrilla work! Well, there were 2 of us [thanks R!] attending to the 'weeding'. Up close and personal not all of my plants were demolished thanks to the Council's lazy job of just pulling the tops off plants randomly. The teasel will return. We've added in some unknown oriental poppies, some blue Geraniums [hope those make it!] another blue leaved mystery plant, a Bergenia from one of my neighbours and some California poppy seeds. The Bergenia could probably do with some decent watering given the leaves...

Southwark Rules....

Dang and Blast. Serves me right for so-so weeding. I went past the Patch last night and discovered - Look No Weeds! Alas those employed by Southwark can only recognise a handful of plants. The Euphorbias, Lychnis, Acanthus and maybe one Fennel remain [and are starting to look springy]. But the real Bee-treat plants - the teasel [Dipsacus], the hardy geraniums, the convovulus, one of the Fennels planted with a blue thistle [Echinops] have been ripped out.... Oh and the lilac Asters - such useful plants in this neglected terrain - destroyed...  And, that low growing tenacious little weed that carpeted the Patch is clearly endemic to the soil and will only arrive back. Today I'm going down there, armed with a few more plants. Dare I use the Echinops? I'm meeting a fellow GG for the first time - and she has seeds! Great seeds that will easily get away in a location like this, if only Southwark can consistently neglect it rather than periodically strip it to shreds.

I am wondering about using labels.

Photo to follow.

Weeds

All the bright, lurid, low growing stuff is a delicate little weed. I don't know what it is called, it even flowers so is probably a good eco-friendly weed. But it is trying to smother any other plant life. I've pulled it out of other plants but - obviously - not laboured any further. Planting is more fun than weeding.  I have added in 3 more Euphorbia Robbiae and 2 mystery plants from a lovely neighbour. The blue foliage looks rather iris-like though I've yet to see it flower. Plenty more to go. If you feel like weeding, don't hold back!

The Ends of Guerrilla Gardening

Just as I've been posting in the Southwark thread on the Community bulletin board on the main GG site, Richard goes and ditches that part of the site. Well, I guess not many people were up to speed having devolved into the amorphous squelch of facebook. Anyway, I hope Rosebud finds this site and contacts me re continuing the bee-fest planting on Dog Kennel Hill this spring. And other like minded people.

Hm. It all seems to be back in place now:

Pimping the Pavements?

I have 2 pots of mint (potted up that is... there is so much mint here I could easily pot more) and I'm looking for a Camberwell/East Dulwich pavement to pimp as they say (NB. must think of a better term). I vaguely have my eye on one in East Dulwich Grove near the Vale Practice. Suggestions welcome.

whether it is winter, or not

Last week 5 days of hard frost. This week we are back in double figures and I have seen a bee in our SE5 garden. Wondering whether to risk putting some more plants in the Dog Kennel Hill patch. The traffic flow either side of it should help... It is certainly cultivating the weeds. Yet I can't help thinking we need a bit more cold.

I did meet a fellow guerrilla working on a large patch near the carwash; daffs, herbs and sunflowers (as far as I could gather - she is not a native plantswoman so there was a lot of guesswork at work). Her top tip was salvaging the piles of plants dumped behind major DIY stores. I do however have a major supply from my parents and a neighbour so I may not be trying that out. Yet.