Your Vote Counts! Tree of the Year - courtesy of Deptford Folk

Many of our readers will be interested in the activity of the parks user group Deptford Folk. Among many other things, they are doing great work with us to replace lost street trees in Lewisham borough's Evelyn ward. 

Right now Deptford Folk are urgently asking for YOUR VOTE PLEASE!

In a competition run by the Woodland Trust, Deptford Folk have nominated John Evelyn's Mulberry Tree in Sayes Court Park, Lewisham for #TreeOfTheYear. 

The winner will receive £1000 towards the upkeep of the tree. They are urging Lewisham residents to vote using details in this link -

http://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/visiting-woods/tree-of-the-year/england/

Deptford Folk had a spot on ITV London News yesterday 13th September, and they want to bring this award to Deptford and South East London. The tree has an interesting history and local legend has it that the tree was planted some 400 years ago by Peter The Great of Russia to atone for a drunken rampage through John Evelyn's garden. John Evelyn was a writer, gardener and diarist who wrote about trees, pollution and street design. His writings are as relevant to today as ever and he is a figure of cultural significance for Lewisham.

The whole campaign ties into the #LoveItLewisham and the Lewisham Borough of Culture bid, so please help Lewisham Council support the campaign for all of Lewisham. 

If you want to know more, Deptford Folk have pictures to share and are happy to provide quotes. More info about them can be found on their website - 

www.deptfordfolk.org

Email hello@deptfordfolk.org to be added to  mailing list. You can follow them on Facebook, Twitter @DeptfordFolk and Instagram #deptfordfolk

Gardeners' Question Time comes to Brockley

We were delighted to host BBC Radio 4‘s Gardeners’ Question Time last week. The broadcast is on Radio 4 this Friday 8th September at 3pm, and again two days later, and it will be on iPlayer for an indefinite period thereafter. Details are on the BBC website here.

The programme is believed to be the world’s longest continuously running radio programme - since 1947 in fact. The latest episode was recorded on 29th August in front of over 300 people in the Mural Hall, Prendergast Hilly Fields College, Brockley.

The panel consisted of Pippa Greenwood, Christine Walkden and James Wong. It was chaired by Peter Gibbs. For an hour we were offered extraordinary horticultural knowledge in the programme’s warm and humorous style.

Seventy-five questions were submitted at the door, and ten selected by the producers (no, the panel never gets them beforehand!). We still have no idea what will be included in the broadcast version of the evening. We will just say that the last questioner revealed a special and moving connection to the hall. His question related to the murals by Evelyn Dunbar above us all. We’re not going to offer any other spoilers.

The committee of Street Trees for Living has Joint Chairs, Xanthe Mosley and Dom Eliot. They were interviewed before the event, about their efforts to increase street tree planting in Lewisham. The broadcast programme will include brief clips from the interview.

                                  

                   drawing @XantheMosley                                                   




                                   

Hither Green Lane improvement project

We are pleased to promote the efforts of friends in the borough who are attempting to get more street trees planted in an effort to tame traffic and improve the overall amenity value of their local streets. Stephanie writes from Hither Green: 

30 seconds well spent!

We would like to share the news about another Community-led initiative with you. A small group of Hither Green residents launched a Petition for a safer and greener Hither Green Lane.

The Petition is urging political decision-makers and Council to fund the planting of new trees on Hither Green Lane, in addition to significant streetscape improvements. Currently, there are only very few street trees, if any, on Hither Green Lane.

It is about creating a healthy and inviting environment that people feel safe in and want to spend time in. New trees will be key to this. Securing this change will hopefully be an enabler for supporting potential change in other areas such as improving air quality, increasing attractive shop-fronts and reducing antisocial behaviour.

There is no age restriction on who can sign the Petition. Please, make sure your husbands, wives, partners, daughters and sons sign too! Signatures are only accepted as valid from persons who live, work or study in the Borough of Lewisham.

Please, help spread the word, talk with neighbors and friends and share the Petition on your social media.

Many thanks.

https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/hither-green-lane-streetscape-improvements