West Ham park has become home to new plant inhabitants.

By Charlotte Cook, Friends of West Ham Park

Orengi Harvey, CC BY-SA 4.0,
via Wikimedia Commons

Those who have been defying the chill and drizzle of winter and having fun in the West Ham Park playground may have
spotted some activity in the flower beds. The trusty park rangers have been hard at work, adding some new and exciting plants to the beds and borders for hot summer days ahead. And these are no ordinary plants!

So that they can withstand the climate changes we have all been noticing, the selected plants are originally from places in the globe which have historically had warmer weather. As such the plants are more tolerant of drought, need less watering, and so should be more likely to survive the warmer summers that we have been experiencing of late.

And, cunningly, they are also well suited to the playground as they are more tolerant of non-weather related bad behaviour, so curious fingers and misdirected footballs should have minimal adverse impact on them! Although please do still treat them with some care.

People can spot any of these new inhabitants: from places as far away as New Zealand (Phormium, Pittosporum, Eucalyptus and Cordyline), from Asia (Camellia, Fatsia Japonica, Rhododendron, Aucuba, Phyllostachys, and Fargesia [Bamboo]) and closer to home in the Mediterranean (Trachycarpus, Lavender, Rosemary, Phlomis, and Cystisus).

And those who have ventured further afield into the park will know that these link into the Fothergill heritage, showcasing plants from “across the seas”. The New Zealand planting in the playground is a replacement for the New Zealand bed that was originally situated in the ornamental gardens.

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