It’s been a very damp and warm winter, rather depressing. However, we’ve managed to liven up the tree pits at the front of London Rd Station with cyclamen, polyanthus and some winter hellebores. The bulbs already planted – mostly daffodils – are coming up.

We also did a clear-out of our composting area where we had been storing all kinds of “useful” things, like odd bits of wood we’d inherited from A.A. Taylor’s, the local joinery and a panel from a shower I thought at one point we could turn into a cold frame. All those extraneous things have been taken to the municipal tip.

We also had three leaky water butts. These we are going to turn into a ‘water-butt garden’ in the edible growing plot. I’ve experimented with rhubarb, which grows well in converted water butts, but I think potatoes, chard, leeks and maybe also rhubarb should work well. The only place for the converted butts is in a somewhat shady corner but they are higher than our raised beds and should get a bit more sun. Then it’s a question of ensuring good drainage and carefully nurtured soil.

I’ve also converted one of the old wooden herb planters into a low planter which we can use for ornamentals. We thought we’d use it for our ‘Madeleine’ mini-garden. To celebrate the life of one of our dear founder members who died earlier in the year, we thought we’d plant flowering plants with the title ‘Madeleine’. There’s a rambling rose called ‘Madeleine Seltzer‘, there’s a Salvia ‘Madeline/Madeleine’ and there’s a giant daisy Aster ‘Madelaine’. We have the rose, which can be planted in a large tub and will grow up a pyramid. The other plants (or their seeds) are on order. We hope to be planting up in late March or April.

We’d love to get more people involved and are thinking about organising some ‘drop-in’ sessions in the garden on a Saturday morning. We particularly need help during the summer months when watering everything becomes a labour of love … If you’d like to get involved, get in touch: lrspartnership@outlook.com or come and find us on a Tuesday afternoon 2-4pm at London Rd Station.