Brockley Common Gardening

Sunday 23rd February sees the first session at the garden on Brockley Common. Brockley Cross Action Group will be on site from 1-5pm to attend to the main flower beds and alongside this we could do with at least a couple of hours on our own plot. Details below of the BXAG event. All welcome!

Waes Hael 2014!

The annual wassail at Hilly Fields Orchard is taking place on Sunday 23rd February at 4:30pm. This will be the fourth event and has proved very popular! Please see details on the flyer below.

Fran Rogers

This week Transition Brockley sadly lost one of its founding members, Fran Rogers. Anyone who met Fran will know that she was not only a very kind and caring person but one that never gave up and always had a great level of enthusiasm for whatever activity she was doing, providing an inspiration to many volunteers who have made a connection with the group. There were a number of projects and events that, without Fran may never have got off the ground or been as successful including the Edible Garden at Brockley Station, the Orchard at Hilly Fields and annual wassail at Hilly Fields, Brockley Gardenshare and Brockley Harvest to name but a few.

Whilst trawling through the Transition Brockley image archive there were many pictures of Fran which just goes to show how important she was to the group and to the community as a whole. Below are a selection of photos which we hope you enjoy and help us to remember Fran for the wonderful memories and energy she gave us. Please feel free to leave comments and we will be happy to pass on to her children.

Fran looking very pleased at the first planting of the edible garden at Brockley Station.

Fran tending to plants at the new garden.

First pickings!

Apple juicing at One Tree Hill allotments, Honor Oak

Planting of trial meadow at the orchard in Hilly Fields

Picking apples in Brockley

Annual wassail at Hilly Fields Orchard during testing conditions!

Talking to local residents about Transition Brockley

First wassail at Hilly Fields with Fran holding up her own
apple-themed version of 'We wish you a Merry Christmas' 

Brockley Christmas Market - Saturday 14th December

Some of you will have seen that the garden down at Brockley Common now has a bit more structure to it with the addition of some small paths and edging through the plot. This was done over a couple of sessions recently and was partly enabled thanks to funds gained through helping out with last year's Christmas Market.

The Brockley Cross Action Group are again running the Brockley Christmas Market on Saturday 14th December from 12-6pm at Coulgate Street, outside Brockley Station. Always one of the most enjoyable events in Brockley's social calender so please spread the word! 

Once again we will be helping out with one of the mulled wine stalls and could really do with a few extra hands to man the stall. If you can offer just an hour of your time it would be greatly appreciated and should still leave plenty of time to enjoy the market as well. If you are able to help could you respond directly to transitionbrockley@hotmail.co.uk and we will co-ordinate from there.

Thanks in advance and if we don't bump into you at the market have a great Christmas!

Transition Brockley

Brockley Common Summer Planting Plan

This year's edible garden plan is now complete which hopefully gives a good overview of what is in the ground. As ever we shall let everyone know when plants are ripe and ready to pick. We will be replacing the current plan on the signage board with the one below in due course. 

Brockley Common looking very colourful!

Photos from the last gardening session at Brockley Common where we carried out weeding, planting and watering. We're pleased to report that all plants are looking healthy and there's a good splash of colour to compliment the BXAG's beds adjacent to the site. Hopefully this year we will not suffer so badly from the slugs and snails who had a field day! 

There's nothing ripe for picking at present so please refrain from doing so. We will let everyone know asap.

Queen to leave her mark on Hilly Fields

Brockley tree planters

Nicola from the Brockley Society has emailed to let us know about a forthcoming addition to Hilly Fields tree population courtesy of the Tree Council's Jubilee Diamond Trees programme. As keen planters of trees ourselves we like this sort of activity and Hilly Fields is big enough to accommodate more trees.

The Jubilee tree donated by the Tree Council will be planted at Hilly Fields (very near the cafe)

on Wednesday May 22nd, gather from 12.45 at the cafe.  Old folk from the Brockley social club and girls from Prendergast school will plant the tree in a short ceremony at 1.15. A digital record will be made which along with the other 59 Jubilee trees will make up a digital book to be presented to Her Majesty in June. It would be great if as many groups and local tree lovers could  be represented. Friends of Hilly Fields and Brocsoc have chosen a disease resistant Elm tree - an American cultivar Princetonia for which Barchams has the exclusive license. Please do come and spread the word to others.

For those that aren't aware the Brockley Society has its own tree wardens who pay close attention to the areas trees and you can find out more about their dedication to the cause here.