Sue Godfrey Garden Clean-up...and 'Creekside Urban Park'

Volunteers from the offices of DEFRA (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) turned up this morning to help clear the Sue Godfrey Community Garden (besides the basketball court) and prepare it for replanting. The garden has been neglected for a while (since no one was sure who was supposed to be maintaining it) and had got rather overgrown. The Defra volunteers came at the invitation of Claire Pritchard of the  Greenwich Co-operative Development Agency who hopes to set up a food growing garden on the site. The project has come about through the co-op's involvement with the Crossfields Green Spaces group – Crossfields gardeners Ruth and John also helped with the clear up.

Meanwhile, Glendales have given Lewisham Homes 1000 bulbs to plant in the grass area on the other side of Church Street opposite the Sue Godfrey Garden. A Bulb Planting Day will take place on Saturday 27th November – volunteers are needed to come and help with this.

On the day, WMM Architects will also be presenting and consulting on their plans for 'Creekside Urban Park', a by-product of their work on the Route One Cycle Path which at one time was threatening to demolish one of our gardens. The idea is that you come along and plant a bulb, have a cup of soup and then comment on the plans – which at present involve widening the footpath alongside the railway, removing some trees and planting some smaller ones. (More details when we have them...and watch out for a leaflet or letter through your door).

Claire Pritchard (left) debates with the volunteers whether to uproot a monster buddleia as they tackled the area adjacent to the garden and next to the bike sheds. Some of the larger shrubs removed today will be replanted in other areas on the estate at a later date...

Meanwhile the volunteers were also working under the Greenwich Development Co-op's direction over at Creekside Centre, building some 'raised beds' that are intended for use by the Crossfields Green Spaces group, as part of a longer term plan to engage the centre with the community.

...And here's an 'artist's impression' of what the Bulb Planting area might look like next year...Apparently, this area is called Coffey Street Green East...(news to me!)

www.greenwich-cda.org.uk
crossfieldsgreenspaces.wordpress.com