The Three Pigeons Plot. Anytime Sessions week ending 14 June 2020: I feel the need, the need for weed.

No, we’re not talking illicit drugs here. It’s all about gardening. Imagine Monty Donn rather than Tom Cruise in Top Gun.

This weeks ‘Anytime sessions’ at The Three Pigeons Plot have focused on maintenance. Despite some rain, there hasn’t been enough for our flowerbed so watering has remained a priority, particularly to ensure that the new bedding plants that went in on Sunday and some of the newer planting can flourish. And as the poppies have died back we’ve been removing the brown stems and clearing the ground below. Although it looks a bit bare without the poppies there are plenty of perennials and other annuals, which will be growing up to take their place including swathes of flowers from seeds sown this week.

Here is what everyone got up to this week:

*Anita. Wednesday 10 June 6.30am. *

An early morning session of watering, clearing spent poppies, relocating stones and sowing swathes of Calendula ‘Nova’, Zinia ‘Early Wonder Mixed’ and Eschcholzia ‘Orange King’ (all seeds that had come free with the May issue of Gardener’s World Magazine). I also went out later in the morning to JJ Roofing Supplies in Isleworth to collect the slates that they have donated to cover the gabled roof of our ‘Three Pigeons Insect Hotel’.

Kate. Thursday Evening.

After Sunday’s mission I’d got the weeding bug & wanted to do a bit more around the seedlings I’d planted. I spent about 40mins turning over the soil and picking out all the little weeds. I was careful to avoid some of the fluffing sprouting plants that Anita had been so pleased to see coming up. Was a nice meditative way to end a long day at work!

JP and Salwa. Friday 12 June. "The Need for Weed(ing)"

After downpours for much of Friday afternoon, a break in the rain came and Salwa and JP were able to get to the 3 Pigeons flowerbed for some maintenance. The rain meant there was no need for watering, so it was all about the weeding and dead-heading. We were surprised to find that large swathes of poppies had been removed, meaning many of the plants were more visible and showing off their colours and variety. Always keeping a safe 2m distance, we set to work in different parts of the plot, with Salwa focusing on dead-heading the plants and JP continuing to tidy the steps down to the river. Several people stopped for a chat, including a potential new recruit to GG Richmond. After a solid stint of weeding we tidied everything up and headed over to the Victoria Inn for a well-earned drink!