The keen eyed amongst you will have noticed that a couple of strips of land have been rotovated in Palmer Park and elsewhere around Reading. This is following a request from a resident which I passed on. See below for more information.
"In response to a request to commemorate the start of WWI 100 years ago next year, the Parks Department was asked to arrange the sowing of poppies at appropriate locations across the Borough.
Our first idea was to sow poppies around or near war memorials in parks (Forbury Gardens and Christchurch Meadows), and at Tilehurst Triangle. To supplement this, we bought sufficient to include some other prominent locations.
For poppies to come back year after year, the ground needs to be disturbed annually (as with annual ploughing of farmland). We are not intending to do this. This will be a one-year project, specifically for the centenary. After flowering next year, we will simply re-commence mowing, and allow the grass to come back.
The ground has been mechanically rotovated, and the seeds broadcast by hand spreader.
The sites that have been sown are:
- behind the war memorial at the Victoria Gate at Forbury Gardens
- around the war memorial at Christchurch Meadows (leaving mown access to the ‘front’ for wreath-laying on 11 November)
- in front of the war memorial on Tilehurst Triangle
- on the large roundabout at the corner of Tilehurst and Liebenrood Roads
- on the Wokingham Road frontage of Palmer Park near the library and children’s playground
- in some of the large area of conservation grass at Balmore Walk
- outside the Whitley Advice Shop
Kind regards"
