Local Shepherds Bush children joined in the tree planting fun at the Askew Road Library last weekend, decorating fruit trees with colourful paper bees, butterflies and herbs for the forthcoming Edible Askew Road festival.
Linking their fruit tree to the famous children’s book Each, Peach, Pear, Plum by Allan Ahlberg, the library is the first of thirty odd shops and local businesses to sign up for the initiative, the brainchild of local environmental charity, the Hammersmith Community Gardens Association.
The plan is to turn the Askew Road into a river of fruit trees between 18th May and 9th June 2013, and be part of the Chelsea Fringe – a festival of flowers, gardens and gardening which will be held across London over three weeks to coincide with the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
“The rationale behind this local community event is to bring people together and enjoy the fun of growing, sharing and transforming the Askew Road by greening up our patch with blossoming apple, peach, pear and plum trees under-planted with herbs to create a corridor of flowers for bees, butterflies and pollinating insects”, said Annie Pennington from Askew Business Network.
Edible Askew Road will be launched between 11 am and 2.30pm on Saturday 18th May with much fanfare including food, pedal-powered smoothie bikes, discovery trails, and entertainers such as Albert & Friends, stilt-walkers, a BBQ at The Eagle and much more…
Local historian Caroline MacMillan is to run her popular discovery tour of Askew Road and tell us about the history behind the shops and area. Did you know, Alishiba was a rabbit breeder and the funeral directors’ the local baker? The three weeks will culminate with a concert and wine-tasting fund-raiser at the Ravenscourt Park Glasshouses organised by the HCGA to be held on Friday 7th June. We’ll post more details on this event closer to the time.
For further information, please contact Cathy Maund on info@hcga.org.uk or one of our resident West London Mum garden writers sarahheaton@btinternet.com
MORE ABOUT HAMMERSMITH COMMUNITY GARDENS ASSOCIATION & THE CHELSEA FRINGE
Local environmental charity, HCGA manages gardening projects at award-winning Phoenix Farm, the Ravenscourt Glasshouses, Loris Gardens and Godolphin Gardens and several primary schools. Last year’s very successful Edible High Road in Chiswick was organised by Chiswick-based Abundance London, for the Chelsea Fringe. Chelsea Fringe is a festival of flowers, gardens and gardening held across London over three weeks to coincide with the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Chelsea Fringe is completely independent of the Flower Show and entirely powered by volunteers but complements the renowned show in a similar adventurous spirit to the Edinburgh Fringe. This year Abundance London will be doing Herbal High Road at the same time.
www.hcga.org.uk www.chelseafringe.com www.abundancelondon.com
Follow on Twitter: @HCGAGardens @chelseafringe @edibleaskewroad
Contributed by Annabelle King
