Friends of Hopetoun Crescent Garden

June 2003

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Dear Friend

It's high time you had an update of what the committee of the Friends of Hopetoun Crescent Park have been doing since our Inaugural Meeting last September.

Plans are well advanced to make an application to the Local Development Committee for money for an Information (Interpretation) Board in the Garden itself; and for smaller notice boards at two of the gates giving monthly updates and general information.

We have also done a great deal of research into benches and we will shortly be getting 6 new benches thanks to co-operation between Bryants and the Edinburgh Council and these will be much more comfortable than the present seats.

The Council has planted 3 new trees - a Weeping Pine, (Picea breweriana) a Red Oak (Quercus rubra) and a Handkerchief Tree (Davidia involucrata).

10,000 daffodil bulbs of 5 different varieties were planted by the Council with much appreciated help from pupils at Broughton PS, Leith Walk PS and St. Mary's. I hope you all enjoyed the flowering - spread over several weeks.

May and June have seen the magnificent flowering of some of the wild flowers and grasses - wild campion and geum to name just two. Maybe next year we can arrange a wild flower and grasses botanical walk through the Garden.

We have had three 'clean up' Sundays. The last Sundays in March, April and May saw a few Friends, responding to posters put up around the Hopetoun area, gather at 12 noon to pick up litter; paint the litter bins ; dig up some of the dockens and dandelions; pick up a fair amount of dog crap and enjoy a coffee and a blether. We are having another 'clean up' on Sunday 29th June at 12 noon and everyone is welcome. On July 27th (the last Sunday in July) we are planning some sort of social activitiy - more information will be forthcoming.

We have joined the Edinburgh Tree Warden Scheme and have developed really good links with the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. Recently the Regius Keeper, Professor Steve Blackmore, the Director of Horticulture Dr. David Rae and Alan Bennell the Depute Director for the Public Programmes Division met with some of the committee for a learning walk around the Garden. Watch this space for future developments!

And talking of 'watch this space'! A web site for Hopetoun Crescent Garden is being developed and when it is up and running we'll let you all know. We are also preparing a leaflet about the garden. If there is any one out there with desktop publishing skills please make yourself known - it would be great to have a really interesting and well designed newsletter occasionally!

So - two dates to remember:

Sunday 29th June 12noon - clean up in the Garden; coffee etc & blether

Sunday 27th July - social event in the Garden - details to be circulated

We have the email addresses of some of our Friends; I'd be grateful if you would email me, so that we have an up-to-date email address record.

Best wishes to you all and the Committee hope to see you at the June and July events.