Introduction to the Garden
The half-acre wildlife garden at the rear of the Roots and Shoots site is a truly unique open space in Central London. The expansion of interest in wildlife gardening in recent years is a gratifying phenomenon but it remains that open spaces such as the Roots and Shoots Wildlife Garden are still hard to find in inner London. It combines an excellent list of insect species and good numbers of breeding and migrating birds (for its size) with education and accessibility for schools and the general public.
Its secluded location — surrounded on three sides by private (housing association) housing and on the fourth by the main training area of Roots and Shoots — makes it a peaceful haven for wildlife and people within sight of the House of Commons (and, often the only sound, of Big Ben). The Wildlife Outreach Worker is able to make it accessible to children and adults whilst maintaining safety and wildlife value.
History
The garden has been established since 1984, though initially not as a wildlife garden as such, and was boosted by an education worker for two years in 1994-5. However, with the establishment of the post of Wildlife Outreach Worker in 1999 the conservation record and educational value of the garden has been dramatically improved and established.
In winter 1999/2000 the apple espalier fence was established to make the path alongside the re-established apiary safer. A 'Children's Shelter' was built in 2001 (with curved oak benches that take up to thirty children) along with the Paradise Corner and the revived pond and dipping platform. This makes the management of whole school classes possible within the garden thus greatly facilitating learning.
In 2002 a new entrance path was built, together with a custom-designed oak gate, making the approach to the garden more attractive and safe. In 2003 the last derelict corner of the garden was reclaimed as a safe dwelling for the Lambeth Dragon (tale-telling zone) with a solar powered dragon's well.
Areas of Interest
The Wildlife Garden at Roots and Shoots has examples of the major habitats that are possible in a small urban site — a good-sized summer meadow, a small area of hazel coppice with spring bulbs and other native plants of deciduous woodland, two ponds and a small reed bed, flower beds of native and exotic plants aimed at attracting butterflies, bees and flies, log and debris piles of various sizes and shapes, a shaded buddleia 'jungle', and hedgerow plants along the boundary.
In addition it has features of gardening and plant interest — such as the large and well established kiwi vines producing over 300 fruit each year, the apple espalier fence, some fine old roses, several species of Echium from the Canary Islands and southern Europe, two species of semi-hardy passion vines (Passiflora actinia and Passiflora x exoniensis) growing well outdoors, fruiting Pineapple guava (Acca (syn. Feijoa) sellowiana) and other tender exotics in the 'Paradise Corner'. Planting of particular interest to gardeners is also established in the other beds on the training areas of the site outside the Wildlife Garden — including a 'Mediterranean climate' mound and 'hot beds' outside the office, superb mimosa trees (Acacia dealbata) and a beautiful walnut tree (Juglans regia).
Birds & Insects
The garden has now recorded 15 species of butterfly (with significant breeding species), at least 25 species of hoverfly, 6 species of dragonfly and 3 species of damselfly, 6 species of bumble bee, at least 15 species of other solitary bees and 26 species of other Hymenoptera, including the parasitic ichneumons and parasitic and predatory solitary wasps, three species of ant (notably an expanding population of the yellow meadow ant) and gall wasps. There is a very large population of two grasshopper species and two of the rarer crickets. More details can be found in the species lists section split into vertebrates (birds) and invertebates(insects).
Bees
There were bee hives on the site in the early nineties but not in 1999 when the Wildlife Outreach Worker post started. Hives were re-established in 2000, including an observation hive. This allows safe viewing of the interior of the honey bees' nest, invaluable for educating young and old in the intricacies of bee behaviour, evolution, adaptation and importance for the garden. In 2002, Roots and Shoots became base for the London Beekeepers Association which now hold regular meetings and lectures on site (see below under bees). The apiary was extended in summer 2003.
School and Community Visitors
The garden is visited by around 2000 children with their teachers each year and there are approximately 1800 adult visitors from the local community and elsewhere. The children have spent 6900 hours learning in the garden. Teachers wishing to bring their classes to the garden should telephone David, Wildlife Outreach Worker, 020 7587 1131, or email david@rootsandshoots.org.uk, to discuss their needs.
Special Events
Special events are organised each year. Open weekends or open days with activities for children and adults are organised for National Apple Day in October (see our Events page and the web-site of Common Ground for further details of National Apple Day), National Science Week in March, an Open Weekend and Open Evenings for the National Gardens Scheme in June and July, as well as for the Vauxhall Festival and beekeeping events. To keep in touch with these events join the Friends of Roots and Shoots.
For National Science Week the theme has varied each year, but generally uses the video-microscope system that was purchased in 2000 with the generous financial assistance of the Walcot Educational Foundation and Cross River Partnership.
In 2003 the project was Lambeth's Living Waters. This was a collaborative project between the Wildlife Outreach Worker and the Garden, a local artist-photographer, scientists from the Life Sciences Scanning Electron Microscopy Unit of Kings College, London and from Westminster University and, not least of course, children from Walnut Tree Walk Primary School. Samples from water bodies all around North Lambeth, including the Thames, were taken by the children and examined under the optical video-microscopes at Roots and Shoots and under the Scanning Electron Microscope at Kings College. The children then made art works in two and three dimensions from their original sketches and SEM images. Reen Pilkington, the artist involved, made a video film of the project ("Daphnia and Diatoms") and all these art works were put together for an exhibition/film show at Roots and Shoots during the weekend of National Science Week.