22nd to 29th April

For one week only the Wimbledon & Putney Commons Conservators are taking part in the Big Give to raise £20,000 for the new Wildlife Fund.

WPCC has developed a 10‑year Land Management Plan, setting out the actions needed to restore habitats, improve climate resilience and keep the Commons special for both wildlife and people.

Much of this work involves multiple small, practical interventions across the site, rather than one large project. Delivering it requires specialist skills, equipment and resources beyond our day‑to‑day maintenance budget — which is why we are creating a dedicated Wildlife Fund.

Can you help WPCC care for this much loved wilderness in our community?

The Bee Friendly Trust installed the planters at Putney Station 10 years ago. Since then, a keen group of local volunteers have looked after them, including members of the Putney Society. But the volunteers have faded away and we now need new helpers. Can you volunteer? Expert gardening skills not needed; just a willingness to water, prune and tidy. Please contact Luke Dixon asap as the current hot weather is taking its toll on 07952 960424 or at beefriendlytrust@hotmail.com

If you missed Lauren Cook’s talk , a research scientist, animator and artist, about ways in which we can enhance ecosystem monitoring you can watch a recording of the meeting by clicking here

In 2009 the Government published a booklet “Guidance on the permeable surfacing of front gardens”* which is even more relevant today!

As the document says: “The drains in most urban areas were built many years ago and were not designed to cope with increased rainfall. Paving front gardens further adds to the problem. Although paving over one or two gardens may not seem to make a difference, the combined effect of lots of people in a street or area doing this can increase the risk of flooding.”

Click here to read or download

*Crown copyright

Click below to see recording of Mark Wasilewski, Park Manager of St James’s Park and The Green Park talk on “The Changing Face of Horticulture’ to our April meeting.

Mark illustrated about how the ways in which we garden have changed over the last few decades and the implication for all gardeners, including park managers and those involved in London in Bloom.

Click Here to Access the Recording

The Putney Society 2024 Front Garden Awards for roads in central Putney is aimed at encouraging more people to plant flowers in front of their house.

For those without a lot of space flowers in containers can produce a colourful display. And for beginners The Open Spaces Panel have produced a quick guide to successful planting summer plants (annuals) in containers.

Simply click below:

Tips on growing summer plants in containers

A timely reminder about the importance of our gardens in conserving our wildlife (data courtesy of the Financial Times 06/01/24). The UK's gardens make up an area that is bigger than all our wildlife reserves put together, an area that equates to about one-fifth of Wales.

The 2023 State of Nature report stated that one in six of our native species are at risk of extinction. It is more important than ever to make sure that our gardens are wildlife friendly and to call a halt to the loss of green space to concrete and paving.

Recording of the Meeting with Lucy Hart on Planting for Biodiversity at Fulham Palace

Posted on May 27, 2023

At the May 2023 Putney Society meeting the speaker was

Lucy Hart, Head Gardener at Fulham Palace who gave an illustrated talk on

‘Increasing biodiversity in the gardens of Fulham Palace - including planting for drought conditions’.

To listen to the recording of the meeting please click of the link:

Recording of Meeting with Lucy Hart 22nd May 2023