Prince Edward Road, Hackney

Thank you to everyone who helped plant up the new beds in Prince Edward Road. Whilst the plants we chose at our design workshop are ‘drought tolerant’, getting them established and growing well in their new location is really important. The current heatwave has really taken a toll on some of them, and we need lots of help over the coming weeks of August and September.

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What Can I Do?

• Please water the soil around the plants in each of the new beds: the rain garden, the tree pit and the two the corner beds​

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How Can I Water The Plants?

 

Hosepipe:

• Hosepipe is allowed as these are newly planted plants. The hosepipe is rolled up behind the white fence, and the water tap is on the bin shed near the entrance to the flats (2 Prince Edward Road).

• Unroll the hosepipe and lift it over the white fence. It just reaches the furthest corner beds on the junction of Prince Edward Road and Felstead Road.

• Slips/ Trips/ Falls: pedestrians are HIGHLY LIKELY to trip on the hosepipe if it is curled up on the pavement. Please stretch it out across the pavement in a straight line, flat on the floor, and ask people politely to take care as they cross it if they have not noticed it.

• If water is slow coming out, check for kinks in the hosepipe and carefully untwist them.

• Water the soil around the plants for a good 10-15 mins on each bed, moving the pipe around slowly so that the water really soaks in well.

• Switch off the water and roll up the hosepipe again tidily. Unplug the ‘female’ connector end at the tap and leave the hosepipe at the side of the bin shed, out of the way of the door opening/ closing. Leave the ‘male’ end connector attached to the tap

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Water buckets/ watering cans:

• During this heatwave, every little helps. Even if you can only carry one bucket or can of water over, it will make a difference.

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Are the plants dead?

• It’s too early to say - some may revive with new growth coming up from the roots next spring, if we can stop the roots from drying out completely.

• In September, we will sow seed around the plants to allow fresh growth to cover the soil over winter. Most herbaceous perennials will go dormant over the winter and regrow new shoots in spring

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Should we pull out dead plants?

• No, we want the root systems in the soil to naturally decompose and help recycle their nutrients to other plants around them. The hollow stems of some plants, and dry leaves also provide natural habitat for insects to hibernate over winter, supporting the food web for larger creatures such as birds.

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What else can we do to help the plants in the heatwave?

• Mulch: in August, I will source mulch and put so call out for volunteers again. We will lay the mulch onto the bare soil around and between the plants. This helps reduce moisture loss from the soil surface and later, as it decomposes over winter, it helps feed the soil ecosystem, supporting the plants’ new growth next spring.

• Remove litter: fishing out any glass, cans, plastics etc is job anyone can do as they walk past. It helps keeps the bed looking cared for, reducing the risk of vandalism, and makes sure water gets down to the soil more efficiently.

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Thanks so much for any help you can offer, even if it is just one time. We will have regular FREE gardening sessions starting in September at the Gainsborough Canal Bridge garden. More details to follow.

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Best wishes

Sioban (Awoke Plants)