News

Hereford Gardens Entrance Vitalisation

Visitors to Pinner Village Gardens will be familiar with the work conducted by the Friends and their volunteers to make the entrances to the park as welcoming as possible. This has seen overhauls of the planting and layouts at the Whittington Way, Rayners Lane/Marsh Road and the Compton Rise entrances. However, there is an as-yet untouched entrance, which leads from Hereford Gardens into the park next to the tennis courts adjacent to the playground.

An overhaul of the Hereford Gardens entrance has been proposed, and we would like to hear your feedback. So please take a look at the designs below, and let us know by responding via this form.


Hereford Gate Proposal

Concept: Plants with fragrance for people, and plants suited to bees and other pollinators to benefit all.

Aims:

  • To provide a fragrant welcome and interest all year but with particular winter highlights
  • To add some new plant species for added interest for people and insects
  • The plants chosen need for low or little management and are suited to the site conditions.
  • To be achievable by FoPVG volunteers

The areas under consideration today to some 140 –190 square metres and their dimensions are:

  • Hereford Gate entrance way South facing side 26m x 1.5m continuing to:
  • Border of Tennis Court South 30m x 3m
  • Hereford Gate entrance way North facing side 26m x 1.5m
  • Around PVG Sign at start of Hereford Green 3m x 4m
  • Stickman Point at Hereford Green 5m x 2m approx.

Additional planting under the trees immediately to the right in the park after entering, and around the adjacent bench, will be considered at a later stage.

A layout of planting near the hereford gardens entrance
Proposed planting at the Hereford Gate area
A layout of planting near the hereford gardens entrance
Proposed planting south of the tennis courts
A layout of planting near the hereford gardens entrance
Proposed planting on Hereford Green (immediately to the right in the park after entering via Hereford Gardens)

These plans will see the relocation of two existing Amelanchier trees and the addition of the following:

Shrubs:

  • Buddleja davidii ‘Black Knight’ x 2
  • Buddleja davidii ‘Royal Red’ x 2
  • Chaenomeles x superba ‘Jet Trail’ x 1
  • Chaenomeles x superba ‘Pink Lady’ x 1
  • Choisya ternata x 2
  • Hebe ‘Great Orme’ x 2
  • Hypericum × hidcoteense ‘Hidcote’ x 3
  • Mahonia aquifolium ‘Apollo’ x 9
  • Osmanthus delavayii x 1
  • Sarcococca hookeriana var. digyna ‘Purple Stem’ x 9
  • Skimma japonica ‘Rubella’ x 10
  • Viburnum x bodnantense ‘Dawn’ x 12
  • Viburnum x burkwoodii ‘Anne Russell’ x 2
  • Weigela ‘Florida Variegata’ x 2

Ferns:

  • Asplenium scolopendrium (evergreen fern) x 9
  • Polystichum setiferum (evergreen fern) Plumosomultilobum Group x 12

Groundcover (multiples of all):

  • Ajuga reptans ‘Atropurpurea’ 
  • Asarum europaeum
  • Heuchera
  • Liriope muscari ‘Royal Purple’ or ‘Big Blue’
  • Petasites fragrans
  • Vinca major (relocated)
  • Vinca minor (relocated)

Hardy Perennials & Bienuals:

  • Anemone x hybrida ‘Honorine Jobert’ x 9
  • Anemone x hybrida ‘September Charm’ x 9
  • Astrantia major x 4
  • Crocosmia × crocosmiiflora ‘Solfatare’ x 1
  • Crocosmia ‘Lucifer x 2
  • Digitalis purpurea (common foxglove) (multiples)
  • Geranium – hardy pink (relocated) x 5 approx

Bulbs (autumn planting for spring flowering):

  • Leucojem aestivum ‘Gravetye Giant’ x 100
  • Camassia leichtlinii Careulea group x 100
  • Narcissus ‘Tete-a-Tete’ x 1,000
  • Muscari armeniacum x 1,000
  • Allium hollandicum ‘Purple Sensation’ x 200

Upcoming Tree Planting Ceremony

We are pleased to announce that the Mayor of Harrow, Cllr Ghazanfar Ali, will be attending Pinner Village Gardens on Sunday 12 September for a tree plaque unveiling ceremony.

With thanks to Harrow Sikhs and The Potohar Association UK, who have supported the work of the Friends, you are invited to attend the ceremony at 1:30 pm.

Following the ceremony, there will be refreshments, children’s games and a first aid demonstration.

The Children’s Fun Run 2021

It was so pleasing to see everyone this morning for our inaugural Children’s Fun Run to support the foundation of the Pinner Junior Parkrun. We had a huge number of attendees, who were all just as excited as we were to see everyone out and enjoying the park.

For those who took part, please download your participation certificate from here: https://www.pinnervillagegardens.org.uk/fun-run-certificate/

We were even lucky with the weather, as there were only a few spots of rain as the runners set off around the two-kilometre course. A huge thank you to everyone who attended, as well as the ongoing support of running club Metros and the Pinner Rotary Club who lent us the equipment to put on today’s event.

It was also great to hear feedback from parents who were keen for us to start up the Junior Parkrun so that we can do this every Sunday. We are thankful for their donations at the event, and a few suggested that we put out a donation link. So if you’d like to donate to the efforts to bring a Parkrun to Pinner Village Gardens, then you can do so via PayPal with this button:


The Difference 45 Years Makes

With thanks to the Facebook Group “Harrow – Old Views“, we recently discovered a photograph of the rose circle near the Whittington Way entrance which was taken in 1976. This is the only photograph we have of the old Elm Trees that used to stand in Pinner Village Gardens, as they were removed the following year because of Dutch Elm Disease.

Another thing to note is the absence of Compton Copse, which was subsequently added to the western edge of the ridge and furrow field. With modern technology, you can directly compare the photograph below, with that of the park at the moment. Simply use the scroller on the image from left to right to take a look at the differences in the park across more than four decades.

Pinner Village Gardens Mural Completed

We’re pleased to announce the completion of our new mural in Pinner Village Gardens by local artist Sarah, who had previously created several variants on a similar theme that members of Friends of Pinner Village Gardens were able to vote upon last year.

Incorporating the existing ivy to frame the work, the mural uses an Art Deco style font, in keeping with the 1930’s origins of the park. It is located to the right of the path as you enter the park from the entrance on the corner of Marsh Road/Rayners Lane.

FoPVG 2022 Calendars Now On Sale

We are pleased to announce that the Friends of Pinner Village Gardens 2022 Calendars are now on sale. This is the first time we’ve organised anything like this, and it has only been possible with the help of our members and the followers of our Facebook Group as they both kindly donated images to be considered for inclusion, and also helped to choose the images from a shortlist.

The calendar features 12 photographs taken within our lovely park throughout the changing seasons. The calendar itself is an A4 wall calendar, with each month on its own page.

They are available to buy from our new online store here: https://www.pinnervillagegardens.org.uk/shop/

The calendars are currently available for collection only, and we’ll be in touch with you once you’ve placed your order to arrange a suitable time and place. If you live within a close vicinity of the park, then we may be able to arrange for a volunteer to hand deliver your order.

New Committee Elected

The Friends of Pinner Village Garden Annual General Meeting for 2021 was held last night, on 14 June. As part of this yearly meeting, the FoPVG Committee is elected for the forthcoming year.

This year’s election was also a little different, as two new posts on the committee were created to reflect specific a greater focus on fundraising and ensuring that the the landscapes in the park are recognised and protected.

The following members were elected to the Committee:

Antonia Savvides – Chair
Brian Chapman – Secretary
Stephen Spiro – Treasurer
Sarah Brook – Events Coordinator
Glyn Watkins –  Funding Coordinator
Simon Braidman –  Environmental and Education Advisor
Jackie Lindop –  Committee Member 1
Helen Ryan –  Committee Member 2
Natalia Kuznetsova –  Landscape Advisor

The posts of Volunteer Coordinator, Communications Lead, and Junior Ambassador were left vacant on the night with no one standing for them.

Upcoming FoPVG Annual General Meeting

The Friends of Pinner Village Garden’s 2021 Annual General Meeting is set to take place over Zoom on 14th June. Papers were sent out to all members this past Monday.

At the meeting, we will give updates to the work taken place in the park over the last two years, along with a financial update and the current membership status. We will discuss the current five year plan for the park, and hold the election for the committee members.

While all posts are up for re-election, we would like to highlight the following vacancies should you think that you could help improve the park through one of these posts and would like to stand:

Communications Lead
Manage FoPVG Facebook, website, Twitter, and newsletter. Manage communications with outside media sources.

Volunteer Coordinator (50% of role as part of a job share agreement)
To support, advise and encourage current members. Organising work parties/ liaising with /recruiting new volunteers. Record volunteer hours /report this to Chair. Must be available to attend events and recruit new members.

Junior Ambassador
Support/encourage/ recruit younger members

Should you wish to stand for these or any other roles on the committee, you will need to be a member first. To sign up, please go to our Become a Member page for further information.

If you’d like any further information about these, any other roles, volunteering in general or the AGM process, then please do Contact Us.