'Magical Orchard' Launched At Chiswick Library

The installation will remain in place all summer

The 'magical orchard' of heritage pear trees was launched on Saturday ( May 17th) when hundreds of people bought plants, tried out the straw bale mini-maze, painted life-size self portraits, meandered through the willow bower, and found out about bees from Mel the Bee’s demonstration hive - all in the forecourt of Chiswick Library.

Chiswick’s Little Library was launched, a little pink and blue cabinet of treasures, filled with books to take (as long as you bring another one back some time). A veg garden has been planted up with French beans, sweet peas, tomatoes, peas, marigolds, nasturtiums and pumpkins, while another bed contains rhubarb, kale, artichokes, herbs and sunflowers.

A tiny woodland crack is bursting with forget-me-nots and poached egg plants and already humming with bees. A bug hotel made of pallets (Bug-ckingham Pallet) welcomes visitors onto the site, and is already busy with gleaming purple rosemary beetles.

Throughout the summer events such as storytime, outdoor classroom, and the summer reading scheme will use the space which has been transformed from a dreary concrete parking space into something living and vibrant.

The Chelsea Fringe runs for three weeks, but the Magical Orchard will remain there all summer, until in the winter the trees go to their permanent planting places around Chiswick.

The Magical Orchard was created by Abundance London and Chiswick Library, with help and support from Carillion Services and the London Borough of Hounslow. The trees were donated by Chiswick House Kitchen Garden.
www.abundancelondon.com

Chiswick Library

May 21, 2014