SPREAD YOUR SEED

Words by Jessica Peace

We spoke to Dan Raven-Ellison back in November last year (read our interview here), he was four years into his brave campaign to turn London into the first ‘National Park City’ - little did we know that he was close to the end of his battle - he’s only bloody done it! In February it was confirmed that in 2019 London will become the first ‘National Park City’ IN THE WORLD. Nice work Dan. (Rampant applause)

For the last few weeks National Park City and Seedball - the creation of conservationists Dr Anna Evely and Dr Emily Lambert, have been crowdfunding for #WildflowersForLondoners - grabbing enough money to throw seed for us 9 million Londoners: ‘one flower for every Londoner’ - that’s you and me mate. On Monday the crowdfunder closed but you can follow the campaign and all the rad stuff National Park City and Seedball are up to here…

@LondonNPC / nationalparkcity.london

@seed_ball / seedball.co.uk

WHY SHOULD WE BE TOSSING OUR SEED ABOUT WILLY-NILLY?

Apart from the fact that any patch of earth or pile of bricks looks better with a plant clambering out if it, we need to help out good ol’Mother Nature - or Gaia if you prefer - thinking Whoopi Goldberg in Captain Planet.

So, just like the wise Miley Cyrus says, ‘starting with the BEES…’

Bees: the bumble, the honey and the solitary are all the dons when it comes to pollination. They are the stalks of the plant world, the babymakers; carrying pollen from one plant and dropping it onto the face of another - keeping the show going. But bees are in decline, much of their natural habitat has been taken away - that’s why we’ve got to put it back. To understand the hugeness of this we’ve got to think more than floral, plants are our food source -

no bees = no food.

BEST FOR BEES

Basically you want big, open blooms; something the bee can get into easily and get a good shake on.

Here are a few beauties you might not of heard of:

CAT'S TAIL

A tall regal spike adorned with blue-purple trumpets, looks like - well, a blue cat’s tail.

EGGS AND BACON

The BEST name. The bright ‘slipper’ shaped flowers - the eggs, are gilded with a red tint - the bacon.

NIGHT-FLOWERING CATCHFLY

Does what it says on the seed packet; its petals open up for a nectar nightcap.