The People’s Garden: Volunteer Diary 

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Graham Arnold writes an update from the volunteers, giving us a glimpse into what they’ve been up to over the past few months…

Wed 3 Sept 2025

Some of the volunteers worked on the Swiss Bridge, assessing areas of damage and weathering to be reported to the Rangers. Along with minor temporary repairs, cleaning was carried out on the painted areas of the bridge with stiff brushes and gentle cleaning fluid. In addition, the central gardens outside the Visitor’s Centre were watered and pruned.

Sat 7 September 2025

The gates on the South end of Ashville Road had become discoloured with mildew and dirt, so some carried out a deep-clean. Small stiff brushes and scouring sponges were used along with a mild soap solution to work away grime and lichen, restoring the painted sections of gate to their original colour.

Wed 10 Sept 2025

More gate cleaning at the North end of Ashville Road. These gates were filthy, and so heavy scrubbing was necessary to loosen layers of mud, leaves and chewing gum from the gilding. After thorough rinsing, the gates’ vibrant colours were visible again, which invited a positive response from the public.

Meanwhile, another group were removing the lighter logs of the mature Oak tree on the pathway north of the Lower Lake.  This had fallen due to the heavy rains of the previous winter, with much of it landing in the lake – recently retrieved by the newly formed Angling Steering Group volunteers. Three loads filled the flatbed truck.  The massive bole and very large branches will need removal by the new tree contractor.

Sat 14 September 2025

The gates opposite park drive leading to the Visitor’s Centre required extensive cleaning and debris removal. There were build-ups of leaf matter and dog waste which needed removing to reveal the metal detailing at the bottom of the gates. Some of the group worked away at the staining and plant waste to expose the original paint colour and finer details.

Wed 24 Sept 2025

It was reported that the Holm Oak planted in memory of QEII by the Lower Lake was covered in a mass of small acorns.

Most of the group went to the heights of the Serpentine.  On the previous Saturday a view was created from the Serpentine towards the Lower Lake where the diseased beech had fallen in the winter of 2023/4.  By chance this was where the short-lived camera obscura had been located in the Park in the 19^th century. On this occasion work concentrated on the top of the hill.  The lower limbs of hollies were cut back.  Mature yews were similarly treated.  This had the effect of opening views to the top of the hill from the Serpentine path.

Some of the volunteers concentrated on the Cole Street beds and then went to the Figure of Eight Lake to remove weeds which could harm children using the pathway around it.

Wed 1 Oct 2025

The group went to the Lower Lake by the fallen beech tree at the bottom of the Serpentine.  The task was to clear the trees cut down by the group on Saturday 20 Sept.  Two loads filled the flatbed truck.  Further trees were pruned on the Lake side of the path, including the willow on the water’s edge.  The large shrubbery was also pruned back into a lower wide hedge.

One of the volunteers came up with an acronym for the Friends: –

F – Forward-thinking 

R – Reliable 

I – Industrious

E – Engaging

N – Noble

D – Dedicated

S – Skilful

We need to live up to the billing…….!!!

Wed 8 Oct 2025

The volunteers did some light work on the beds by the Cole Street entrance spreading mulch.  These had been weeded in previous weeks.  Following that the group went to the Serpentine Hill to load up the arisings from the clearance of holly and removal of low dead yew branches on the 24 Sept.  This was a start, a further pile of brash will be removed soon to prevent dried branches and leaves becoming a fire hazard near healthy trees.

Meanwhile, the bed on the north end of the Boothby Ground needed mulch spreading, and so the group requested wood chips from the Rangers and dispersed them. After weeding the soil, the volunteers covered the bed with a thick layer of mulch, focused on the bases of Rowan trees and Berberis shrubs to prevent frost damage. The group then moved onto weeding the Rose Beds outside the Visitors Centre. A curious robin oversaw all work at Boothby.

Wed 15 October 2025

Some of the volunteers concentrated on the beds to the front and side of the Visitor Centre.  Weeds were still developing in the residue of summer and the overcast conditions of autumn.  Pruning dead growths tidied up the beds and exposed the weeds for removal.  The bed by the tool room was showing a lovely sutumn display of varied flowers (the seeds of which had been donated by Cllr Amanda Onwuemene) fronting and surrounding the Wollemi Pine.

The others meanwhile went to the Volunteer bed in the Upper Park to remove the piles of bramble with attached roots which Paul had been digging over for the last few weeks.  Bulbs had been planted there in dense groups some ten years ago.in a south facing bowl figured out of the mound. The bulbs would now be able to show their spring glory next year.  A Black Locust tree had been pushed over by a falling dead tree but was still growing like a sparse ground cover shrub.  It was felt that it should be left as an interesting anomaly.  In the spring its relationship to the bulbs will be exposed and a considered decision made.  Three young locust trees border the bowl and should be able to provide continuity if necessary.

Another part of the group cut down nettles at the head of the Lower Lake to show off the dogwoods.  These will provide lovely red stems throughout the winter before pruning back in Spring.  Nearby, past the spreading Deodar tree a mature holly had been cut down to allow light for a replacement Mulberry tree.  This is protected by tree guards.  The space created could be used for a demonstration project using Azaleas, Rhododendrons, and varied bulbs to provide colour.  Holly growth from the base could be trained into a closely pruned shrub to hide the large bole and echo the treatment of hollies in the Victorian era.

The original Black Mulberry Tree (Morus Nigra) overlooked a bench to the east by the grass defile leading up to the Balaclava Field.  The original is shown on the Woodland Trust Ancient Tree Inventory with a photograph.  A comment notes that it fell and was cut up after a gale in 2023.

Graham Arnold