Three Pigeons Anytime Sessions Week ending 26 July: A Family Affair

Three Pigeons Plot Anytime Sessions Week Ending 26 July 2020

JP. Wednesday 22 July. A Family Affair With family visiting from the midlands, JP had the week off and decided it would be a lot of fun to treat his nephews and niece to a visit to the 3 Pigeons plot, to check out the newly-erected insect hotel and help out with some weeding and watering. The sun shined down on us as we walked over the bridge and along the towpath, and indeed the soil was in need of a good drink when we arrived. The boys were eager to help with the watering so after a briefing on taking care on the Thames steps and how to throw the water onto the bed, they all had a few turns and enjoyed themselves immensely. Meanwhile, brother, sis-in-law and grandma had a go at some of the weeds around the border, while niece kept Ted the dog in check.

Anita. Wednesday 22 July. I headed down on Weds to do a bit of watering to find not just JP but his Mum, brother, sister-in-law, nieces/nephews and a dog had got there first. However there are always things to do on such a big area and I carried on with the watering. Sadly my trusty green trugs, easy to clip onto the back of my bike, are beginning to falter under the weight of water and the handle of one broke. Ample compensation was the birdlife and listening to a talking book recording of Robert McFarlane’s Underland.

Adam. Thursday 23 July. Following the grand opening of the Insect hotel last Sunday I thought that it was important to check up on the residents to make sure that they were well nourished and enjoying their stay. The hotel itself was receiving some high praise from fellow Richmond locals, who were expressing their admiration of the construction and the work that Good Gym has been doing to maintain the well being of their guests. Long may it continue!

Anita. Friday 24 July. Blue about the Yellow peril. I didn’t get up early enough to catch the 6.17am 5.34 m high tide but I could see that the water had crept within a few metres of the plot. After a watering session, I met Henry, gardener at Terrace Gardens, who warned me that some of our tall plants about to flower were weeds and should be removed before they seeded everywhere. So I spent a while pulling out the ‘yellow peril’ and bagging it up for collection. I think it might be ‘Dyer’s Woad’ (Isatis tinctoria) which can be so invasive that it is classifies as a noxious weed in parts of the United States.

Anita. Saturday 25 July. There’s a hole in my bucket. An early start to catch the high tide (7.50am, 4.85m) for some watering. ‘Arrived to find a pair of swans inspecting our work. Struggling a bit with my equipment as the black trug had a split and left a trail of water as I walked and the other green trug handle broke.

Harry. Saturday 25 July. Raising the Rafters. An early start to collect a roof slate from the Beuccleuch Gardens lock-up, then carpentry work to build the wooden roof frame for The Three Pigeons Insect Hotel. It has quite a steep pitch and will have real slate tiles like the adjoining Three Pigeons apartments.

Anita