Plane and Simple

As the Museum drifts into November and the year of 2011 draws to a close, there seems to be no indication that winter is at our door step.  The air is mild, the leaves are desperately hanging on and there is no sign of any frosts signalling the end of autumn, thus spiralling the natural world into a state of dormancy.

We are taking full advantage of this mild weather and getting vast amounts of gardening completed.  The London Plane tree leaves provide us all with a test of mental and physical endurance to keep our spirits positive.  The trees provide the team with a fresh pile to be swept up each day so a big thank you to the trees!

However, the Garden Museum has recently set up a partnership with Kensington Gardens, The Royal Parks and Enterprise plc.  Due to the waxy properties of the Plane tree leaves, they are impossible to break down and due to the vast number that we collect, the museum just does not have the facilities to accommodate and compost the material, and we unfortunately had to send it to landfill.  However, Kensington Gardens has a huge composting site within the grounds in which all green material from the central parks is processed, composted, and put back into the grounds.  They have kindly offered to collect our waste material every week and provide us with fresh compost. 

A big thank you must go out to

Ray Brodie, Park Manager, Kensington Gardens

Theresa Short, Assistant Park Manager, Kensington Gardens

Bennie Connolly, Enterprise Contracts Manager, Kensington Gardens

The Royal Parks and Enterprise plc partnership is a powerful step in promoting green infrastructure and sustainability for London, and setting an example to the world.