Chiswick's Herbal High Road Gets Ready

Willow knot garden at Christ Church is a new feature this year

Some sixty little herb gardens will be appearing along Chiswick High Road, Turnham Green Terrace and Devonshire Road shortly as Abundance gets up and running for this year’s Chelsea Fringe festival. The launch date is May 18th and there will be several activities on the day.

The Edible Herbal High Road will this year be complemented by a traditional willow knot garden with a dramatic modern twist on the main green between Chiswick Town Hall and Christ Church on Turnham Green.

Willow sculptor Marten Penrose, of The Special Branch, will create an installation along with garden designer Bud Murryweather, which replace a derelict raised bed. The area was once memorial to local resident Carole Weale and in recent years has fallen into disrepair. The Friends of Turnham Green are supporting this project.

A knot garden is an area of formal and often intricate design, popular since the Elizabethan age, using highly contrasting plants, often aromatic or evergreen culinary herbs, which are planted in square compartments in a symmetrical pattern. The knot garden will create an area of scent and beauty on the green and the willow sculpture will change with the seasons.

Karen Liebreich of Abundance says this year's project is a great community effort.

“So far we’ve had 62 shops and local eateries participating and four churches. There are five primary schools growing plants, beans and nasturtiums and making little butterflies to pop into the plants.

"Residents at St. Mary’s convent have made pipecleaner bees, a youth offender’s group have helpedby fixing boxes and planting up lavender and rosemary, and local people from artists, urban farms and garden centres have contributed or helped in some way.”

The launch day on May 18th will include free workshops at various venues in Chiswick, including making herbal bread, willow-weaving, gin gardening and a Treasure Trail. There will also be a fancy dress event for children – full details will be released soon and you can visit the website at http://www.abundancelondon.com

Helpers are needed from May 7th-11th for planting and other general work. And there are still a couple of herb gardens available to local shops and businesses if they want to join up.

Abundance London works with local volunteers, organisations and schoosls to harvest fruit gluts and organises fun events linked to education about fruit, veg and the environment. Since Abundance launched in Chiswick, three other area of London, Lewisham, Salusbury Road in NW3 and Askew Road in W6 have followed their lead in organising similar projects

The Chelsea Fringe festival runs from May 18 th-9 th June. The Chelsea Fringe is a gardening festival held throughout London over three weeks in May/June at the same time as the Chelsea Flower Show.

Please email Karen@abundancelondon.com if you would like to participate.

April 26, 2013