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Builder Needed to Quote for Walled Garden Paving
Replacement of Box Hedge Walled Garden
Wanted Info on who is Damaging the Pond Railings
Gladstone Gardening Group Cafe Beds Planting
Gladstone Gardening Group Bulb Planting
Butterfly Transect Review of 2022 Season
Copse News From David: Winter Work Schedule
Let's Talk Climate:  Have your say: Link
JOIN EASY FUNDRAISING Nominate FOGP as your Charity
AMAZON: When buying choose FOGP as your Charity
Memorial Benches.  How to buy one.  New Photo
POLICE: New Contact Info for reporting Mopeds in the Park
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Problems:  gladstoneflowersNW@gmail.com
BUILDER NEEDED TO QUOTE FOR WALLED GARDEN 
CRAZY PAVING RESTORATION DUE TO BOX HEDGE REPLACEMENT IN WALLED GARDEN
This Autumn Brent Council is replacing the dead or dying box hedge around the outer beds in the walled garden with Ilex crenata, or Japanese holly, photo below.

This involves removing the box plants and their roots which grow under the first paving along the crazy paving path.  This line of paving needs replacing after soil and manure have been added.
If you are a builder willing to quote and then be approved by Brent Council to replace the paving please contact:  parks.service@brent.gov.uk

Japanese holly is a small leaved plant similar to box but without the box caterpillar problems.  As box moth can have 3 broods in a season it has devastated the hedge.  Photo below of caterpillar on box.  Only persistent spraying by experts every year can prevent the hedge dying.  
GLADSTONE GARDENING GROUP: 
CAFE AND LOO FLOWER BEDS
You may have noticed the gardening group being active in these beds on Monday digging in manure in preparation for the winter interest planting to go in.  The Friends of Gladstone Park must thank Together Towards Zero for their generous contribution towards the purchasing of the new plants.
Don't worry, there will still be a colourful show in summer but hopefully also plants and bulbs to give pleasure in the winter and spring as well.

BULB PLANTING FOR A COLOURFUL SPRING
Last week the volunteers planted a multitude of tulips and alliums in the north bed to bring colour into the walled garden.  We shall also be planting perennial tulips that flower in April under plants that don't start growing until later on in the season.  We hope they stay safe from squirrel predation!!
Earlier on we planted more daffodils along the wall to the east of the garden as well as Ipheion, Anemone blanda and Leucojum or giant snowdrop in the terrace beds.
BUTTERFLY TRANSECT REVIEW:  2022
For the past butterfly season 4 local people, Shanta, Hazel, Alyson and Helen A have been walking a specific route around the park defined by the Butterfly Conservation Trust to maximise the varying habitats there.  Their data was reported to the  UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme where it will contribute to the country-wide data set that has been tracking changes to the butterfly population since 1976.
Report from Shanta:
Butterfly transects are set routes that are walked weekly from the first week of April to the last week in September, weather permitting. The first couple of weeks this year were too cold for butterflies so we didn’t start until mid April but otherwise we didn’t miss a week. Over the 24 weeks that we walked we counted 198 individual butterflies and 18 species.

Walking the transect every week allowed us to see the transition between different species, starting with Brimstones and Holly Blues, followed in June by Skippers, Meadow Browns and Gatekeepers and, emerging in July and August, the Common Blue. Speckled Woods did well throughout the year, mostly in the dappled shade of the copse. In one week in June we counted six Ringlets near the railway line, a species not recorded in the park before.  Photo below of Ringlet and Common Blue

The drought seemed to have a negative effect on the butterflies and in some weeks in July and August we counted no butterflies at all. They feed on nectar and in much of the park there was almost none available during that time. However, the wildflower planting that the gardening group did last year and early this year with the help of the Big City Butterflies project paid off as we often saw a concentration of butterflies in these areas.
A total of 18 different species were observed.
Note:  These sown areas needed watering as they initially failed due to the drought
COPSE NEWS FROM DAVID
The programme of work this season is much the same as last year with the emphasis on repairing/re-constructing the dead hedges. They naturally disintegrate but this is aided and abetted by vandalism. They are proving to be successful enabling bushes, young trees and plants to naturally regenerate through the protection they provide. 
We shall be:
* Collecting small branches from the park. A good number are blown down by storms. They are great for dead hedge infill. We need a lot!
* Repairing the dead hedge at the front of the copse. The campers really abused it.
* Preparing stakes for the dead hedges.
* Clearing the leaves from the paths. Priority given to the diagonal pathway made of paving stones. 
* Litterpick.
The tasks will vary as the season progresses. For instance the drought took a heavy toll on our Elder bushes with a lot of dieback. This was caused by a disease called Verticillium wilt which attacks the roots preventing water reaching the trunk and branches and killing off the leaves. We need to cut back the bushes and remove the waste from the copse. We have already started this process but there is a lot more to do. The good news is that the two Elders we cut back last year blossomed forth in spectacular fashion and showed no traces of dieback . The Elder is a tough old plant and I am hoping most of them will bounce back. We will tackle them once the dead hedges have been secured.
LET'S TALK CLIMATE:  BRENT COUNCIL
Samantha Haines at Brent Council is asking Brent residents to participate as below:
The climate emergency means the way we do things as a council and as a community has to change.  We have launched Let’s Talk Climate: waste and green space to ask for your views on what we can do differently and what you expect from us as we work together towards a cleaner, greener Brent.

We are looking for fresh bold ideas.  Your feedback could change how waste and recycling is managed, how we keep streets clean and how green spaces are maintained.  It will also feed into the delivery of our Climate Strategy and help shape the future of Brent
 >> Watch this video to learn more, then get involved and start sharing your ideas
DO PLEASE JOIN EASYFUNDRAISING
IT IS SUCH AN EASY WAY TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE FRIENDS OF GLADSTONE PARK.

For example if you buy anything from John Lewis they donate 2% of the value to the Friends!  These donations help the Gladstone Gardening Group to buy tulips, alliums and other bulbs for spring colour and contribute to the perennial beds in the walled garden.

HELP MAKE YOUR PARK EVEN MORE BEAUTIFUL BY CONTRIBUTING
RAISE MONEY FOR THE FRIENDS OF GLADSTONE PARK
VIA EASY FUNDRAISING
A huge variety of companies are paying charity donations via the website Easy Fundraising.
Follow the link below and nominate the Friends of Gladstone Park as your charity.   Download the app which allows you to see which companies support charities this way when you use your browser.
https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/panel/
AND VIA AMAZON SMILE
https://smile.amazon.co.uk/ch/1180529-0
We will use your funding to encourage the park's wildlife, plant in the walled garden and copse and for projects to enhance the park
MEMORIAL BENCHES: MORE NEEDED AS WE WOULD LIKE SOME ALONG THE NEW CYCLE PATH AND IN THE PEACE GROVE.   People like to rest, stare at the sun, comfort their baby or just admire the view when walking the park especially along the new cycle track where there is just one bench at present.
Is there a loved one you would like to remember and think about when visiting the Gladstone Park?
PHOTO:  Husband and wife, Paul and Yvonne with Helen A taking a welcome break from gardening.
COST:   Email:   brent.parks.services@brent.gov.uk
or speak to Brent Council on 020 8937 5619
NO MOPEDS PERMITTED TO DRIVE IN THE PARK
If you see a moped in the park, photograph it with the number plate visible and take down details of the time and where you saw it. Email your ward SNT as below and the police have agreed to follow this up where there is sufficient evidence.
Mopeds are not allowed to drive through the park and people are not allowed to sleep in the park.
If you have information about mopeds, rough sleeping or antisocial behaviour:
  • Email or Tweet your ward, either Dollis Hill, Willesden Green or Cricklewood and Mapesbury Safer Neighbourhood Team, (SNT), as below.
  • Do not put yourself at risk by taking photographs of people, but make a note of registration numbers, descriptions, time and location.
  • Remember that the SNT can only follow up messages when they are on a working shift, so they should not be contacted about urgent issues.
DOLLIS HILL: E:  DollisHill.SNT@met.police.uk   Tweet:  @MPSDollisHill
WILLESDEN GREEN: E: WillesdenGreen.SNT@met.police.uk  Tweet:  @MPSWillesden
CRICKLEWOOD AND MAPESBURY:  E: Mapesbury.SNT@met.police.uk   Tweet:  @MPSMapesbury


IF A CRIME IS HAPPENING IN FRONT OF YOU
  • PHONE 999 if the suspect is nearby or if anyone is hurt or in danger.  If you see a weapon or drug dealing and the dealer is visible, call 999.  If you find a hidden stock of drugs, call 999.

FOR OTHER CRIMES
  • phone 101,
  • use the MPS website www.met.police.uk
  • tweet @MetCC
  • go to Wembley police station counter.
You can also contact the charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or www.crimestoppers-uk.org

DUMPED RUBBISH
 
To report dumped rubbish, use Brent Council’s "Cleaner Brent" App or report it online via their website.
                                                                                             
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Friends Of Gladstone Park · 13 Park View Road · London, NW10 1AD · United Kingdom

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