Bedtime story

Picture 1

Only a couple of months ago, the large circular flowerbeds in Arlington Square were a mess – not exactly circular, ragged round the edges and over-full of tired old plants and plenty of vigorous weeds. Picture 1 is a reminder of how they looked at the beginning of the year.

Picture 2

Work on renovating the beds began in January, when AA gardening volunteers dug out any plants worth saving (picture 2)and replanted them elsewhere, most of them in the perimeter beds south of the north-west gate.

Picture 3

With all the larger plants removed, it was time to improve the shape of the circles. On 2 February two specialists arrived from Norfolk with lengths of steel edging. They measured and moulded, flexed and welded until both beds were perfectly round, identical in size and neatly edged with metal surrounds (picture 3).

Picture 4

There was still much work to be done clearing the beds. Over the course of several days, sturdy AA volunteers assiduously dug out and removed bulbs, roots and weeds, especially the remains of tenacious bindweed (picture 4).

Picture 5

Then it was time to revive the soil, with 12 tonnes of steaming compost, spread by another team of AA volunteers (picture 5).

Picture 6

Finally our lead gardener, ace horticulturalist Paul Thompson-McArthur, revealed his planting plan (picture 6). It comprises 14 different types of plants, large numbers of each, cunningly arranged so that the two beds will mirror each other and provide a changing mosaic of colours all through the summer.

Picture 7

Paul staked out the grids for the planters to follow (picture 7), and on a cold, damp February day the empty beds were filled. Starting before 8am and not finishing until after 5, the tireless volunteers installed no fewer than 1,400 plants in their designated places (picture 8), finishing with a border of Japanese holly around each circle.

Picture 8

The local foxes were so excited by the new beds that they indulged in a little midnight excavation, and some plants had to be replaced the next day. Since then, the hundreds of new plants seem to be establishing themselves well.

Picture 9

The rehabilitation of these beds was made possible by the £8,000 we were awarded from Tesco’s Bags of Help scheme – and by the efforts of the many Arlingtonians who lent their time and muscle for the improvement of our square. Picture 9 shows the same scene as 1, just two months later.