Members of Portsmouth Friends of the Earth were joined by about a dozen people for a walk from Landport to North End via Buckland. We enjoyed a number of different community gardens: Landport, Australia Close, Cornwallis Crescent, and the secret little space behind Buckland Community Centre. We would like to thank the volunteers who shared their passion with us.
As well as the efforts of various gardeners, we admired the urban meadows of wild flowers left by council contractors, constantly changing as different plants flower. There were raised-bed allotments where people were growing fruit and vegetables, and fruit trees planted as part of the Charles Dickens Community Orchard.
We passed open spaces and parks like Buckingham Green and Buckland Park where children can play, but also a square where the green space seemed bare and empty – an opportunity for a more creative approach.
The examples of de-paving that we saw showed what is possible with a little enterprise. This technique would be very useful in other locations, like Southsea. Brick-built planters around concrete columns, commemorating the platinum jubilee of queen Elizabeth II, also added interest to a rather dull area.
Adding diversity and another perspective are the many plants – often dismissed as weeds – that find a crack, crevice or drainpipe to thrive in.
After passing small rain gardens at the pelican crossing, the walk ended at the raised beds in Derby Road refreshed by PFOE with planting and painting, followed by coffee in a North End café.
Portsmouth Friends of the Earth 