& FOOD FOREST
WHAT’S HAPPENING NOW?
Summer 2025
Lots of watering!
With a freshly planted meadow and newly established plants still finding their feet, we need to make sure they stay hydrated, so we’re trying to water each area, including our new Food Forest, at least once a week. This is split over two sessions on Tuesday and Saturdays. The Friends has paid for two 50m hoses so we can reach all the way to the orchard!
New benches
Two stunning new benches have been installed, and we have two more on the way, to be located in the food forest.
Based on a design by local landscape architect Kate Digney-O’Sullivan, the benches were made, installed and donated by master furniture maker Andrew Clark.
Adding layers to the Food Forest
Our twelve trees are planted and we have several berry bushes and raspberry canes beginning to establish. Now we’re starting to think about autumn planting to help establish additional layers to our evolving ‘edible ecosystem’. We’re thinking rhubarb, rosemary, sage – and maybe some unusual heritage perennial vegetables, like sea kale, skirret and Babbington’s leeks?
REGULAR VOLUNTEERING
Our volunteers are staying ahead of the game in a hot and dry season by meeting twice a week:
Tuesdays 6pm
Saturdays 10am
Everyone is welcome to join in – follow us on WhatsApp for regular updates, or just turn up on the day.
We’re also involving local community groups including the Cubs and Social Prescribing, and once things are a bit more established, we’re planning to move to a regular monthly session, on the Second Saturday of each month.
EXPLORE THE DESIGNS
Created as the ideal complement to the space, the design responds to details of the site, soil and history, as well as proximity to the playground. It’s a beautiful space which supports shared endeavour and learning and brings our community together.
The garden project is run entirely by volunteers of the Friends of Blythe Hill Fields, with design support and expertise generously donated by Hayley and Holly of HH Garden Landscapes and in-kind support from Glendale.
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Attractive, drought-resistant and wildlife-friendly planting with interest and habitat all year round.
Careful consideration to supporting biodiversity with a wide range of plant varieties, which provide food and housing for a wide range of bugs found in the local area.
Additional shelter and habitat creation with about 30 bug post shelters made from untreated hardwood, dead hedges with material recycled from the site – particularly friendly for stag beetles and solitary bees!
The gabion baskets filled with recycled bricks and building waste provide habitat and echo the park’s heritage as a brick factory. With all the materials donated by people locally, someone described them as creating a kind of ‘community archaeology’.
Extensive ornamental meadows for pollinators and visual impact.
Key features
Child friendly features, including an ‘adventure path’, which wraps around some of the original shrubs on the site, honours its recent heritage as an overflow play space.
A leisure path, which is pram, wheelchair and scooter accessible, which encourages people to move through the space.
Strong, hand-crafted benches made out of sustainable local oak. There are two benches in the midst of the planting and a big, exciting multi-bench under the shady hornbeam nearby – a great place for tired mums and carers to rest!
Sustainable, low waste design with all materials retained on site.
Good open sight lines, with views across the Fields, to the playground, the new older kids’ trim trail and our new orchard beyond.
A rolling programme of learning opportunities and events in your local community.
Wildlife garden
Viburnum opulus Roseum
Cistus x purpureus Alan Fradd
Salvia rosmarinus Miss Jessops Upright (Rosemary)
Deschampsia cespitosa Goldtau
Calamagrostis brachytricha
Stipa tenuissima
Valeriana officianalis
Foeniculum vulgare Purpureum (Bronze Fennel)
Sanguisorba canadensis Cangshan Cranberry
Lunaria annua Chedglow
Lysimachia atropurpurea Beaujolais
Sisyrinchium striatum
Geranium Rozanne
Achillea 'Coronation Gold'
Achillea 'Moonshine'
Campanula l. 'Loddon Anna'
Aster nbd. 'Kristina'
Anaphalis t. 'Sommerschnee'
Centaurea montana 'Parham'
Eryngium agavifolium
Geum 'Poco'
Rudbeckia fulgida deamii
Sidalcea 'Loveliness'
Veronica gentianoides
Plant lists
Cistus x purpureus Alan Fradd
Salvia rosmarinus Miss Jessops Upright (Rosemary)
Deschampsia cespitosa Goldtau
Calamagrostis brachytricha
Stipa tenuissima
Valeriana officianalis
Foeniculum vulgare Purpureum (Bronze Fennel)
Sanguisorba canadensis Cangshan Cranberry
Lunaria annua Chedglow
Lysimachia atropurpurea Beaujolais
Sisyrinchium striatum
Geranium Rozanne
Achillea 'Coronation Gold'
Achillea 'Moonshine'
Campanula l. 'Loddon Anna'
Aster nbd. 'Kristina'
Anaphalis t. 'Sommerschnee'
Centaurea montana 'Parham'
Eryngium agavifolium
Geum 'Poco'
Rudbeckia fulgida deamii
Sidalcea 'Loveliness'
Veronica gentianoides
Miscanthus 'Purpurascens'
Meadow
Achillea filipendulina Cloth of Gold
Anthemis tinctoria
Alyssum saxatile
Alcea ficifolia hybrids
Cichorium intybus
Calendula officinalis
Centaurea scabiosa
Centranthus ruber
Daucus carota
Dianthus carthusianorum
Echium vulgare
Echinacea purpurea
Eschscholzia californica
Eryngium planum
Malva moschata
Linum perenne
Lychnis coronaria
Oenothera odorata
Oenothera biennis
Oenothera missouriensis
Origanum vulgare
Salvia nemorosa
Thymus vulgaris
Verbena bonariensis
Verbascum nigrum
Verbascum olympicum
Food forest
Trees
Apple - Worcester Pearmain
Apple - Bardsey
Apple - Dabinett (cider)
Cherry - Sunburst
Eleagnus Quicksilver (Nitrogen fixer)
Fig - Brown Turkey
Mulberry - Chelsea
Pear - Hendre Huffcap
Pear - Winter Nellis
Plum - Blue tit
Plumcot - Flavor King
Quince - Serbian Gold
Shrubs
Gooseberry Hinnomaki Yellow
Redcurrant Jonkheer van Tets
Gooseberry Hinnomaki Red
Whitecurrant White Versailles
Blackcurrant Ben Sarek
Blackcurrant Ben Connan
Raspberry Glen Ample
Raspberry Glen Prosen
Raspberry Autumn Bliss
Other
Comfrey Bocking 14
THANK YOU
Several people have given exceptional time and expertise.
Andrew Clark at Rewthink prototyped, crafted and then donated our stunning new benches – an incredible gift that helped us stay in budget!
Hayley and Holly from HH Garden Landscapes generously gave their time to design several iterations of the garden layout over several years. Plus they were available to give advice and join in on our planting days.
Landscape architect Kate Digney-O’Sullivan designed the bench concept and came up with a stunning design for our upcoming bioswale.
Garden designer Emese Peter (@neverordinarygardens on Insta) provided exceptional project management at key stages, and added refinements to an ever-evolving design.
Peter Maynard at Lewisham kept his good humour and showed a willingness to stretch his already overstretched capacity to provide the framework for the project to succeed and local park contractor Glendale Services provided in-kind support by installing collection bays and clearing the site.
Our generous donors have given using our website.
Blythe Hill Friends Committee, particularly Dani Bizley, helped to guide the designs, the budget and everything else and provided the backbone of the project.
All our community volunteers – there are so many of you – thanks for giving your time and passion to be a part of the journey.
YOUR GIFT WILL HELP
THE GARDEN GROW
The Friends has committed £10,000 to this project, but we need to raise more! Help us meet our target of £5,000 by donating now.
Suggested gift
£20
Keen to give more?
Your donation will help fund some important features.
£5
a small plant
£10
a large plant
£20
a bug post
£50
a square metre of meadow
£250
garden tools
£350
a feature tree
£1,000
a handcrafted bench