EARL'S COURT SQUARE GARDEN

Established under the Kensington Improvement Act 1851

• HORTICULTURE •

HORTICULTURAL NEWS

• 2024

Ladybird in the garden 23rd April 2024

Our chairman Katrina photographed this ladybird tucked up trying to keep warm in the garden. There are plenty of rosebuds so Aphids usually won't be far away. Despite the cold weather the gardeners reported seeing Aphids last week so they sprayed the hedge after cutting it.

• 2023

Our garden wins two more awards!

London Gardens Society awarded us the Bronze Award for their Garden Squares 2023 competition in the Small Private Square category. The plaque will be erected in the garden.

Brighter Kensington & Chelsea Scheme Platinum Jubilee 2023 awarded us second przie in their Garden Squares Central category.

Works

We have got permission from the Council to remove the two dead trees so that work will be getting underway shortly. We also hope to replace the box balls in the centre bed with an alternative which won’t get attacked by the horribly virulent box moth and its caterpillars. We have waged war against their onslaught for several years now and so are looking for alternatives. The Royal Horticultural Society garden at Wisley has been trialling several alternatives so we are in good company.

Autumn Fungi October 2023

Garden friend November 2023

OUR TREES

Identify the trees in the garden using the 2022 tree map below. Our trees are located within a Conservation Area, and covered by a Tree Preservation Order.

	NORTHERN BOUNDARY AREA
1.	London Plane opp. 29
2.	Portuguese Laurel.
3.	London Plane opp. 27.
4.	London Plane opp. 25.
5.	Elm.
6.	Variegated Holly.
6a.	Viburnum/Pyracantha.
6b.	Almond.
	EASTERN BOUNDARY AREA
6c.	Almond.
7.	Variegated Holly opp 14.
8.	Plum opp 16.
9.	Sycamore opp. 18.
10.	Liquid Amber.
11.	Crab Apple opp 20.
12.	Cherry opp. 22.
13.	London Plane opp 24.
14.	Crab Apple.
15.	Holly opp Ferndale Mews.
16.	Stump of Wych Elm opp. 26 (diseased Elm removed 2021).
17.	Cherry.
18.	London Plane, SE corner.
19.	Purple Plum opp 40c.
	SOUTHERN BOUNDARY AREA
20.	Holly opp 41.
21.	London Plane opp 42.
22.	Crab Apple.
23.	London Plane opp 44.
24.	Holly opp 46.
25.	Holly opp 48.
	WESTERN BOUNDARY AREA
25a.	Photina.
26.	Sycamore.
26a.	Variegated Narrow Leafed Holly? (Ilex x altaclarensis ‘Belgica Aurea'?)
26b.	Ash leafed Maple.
27.	London Plane opp 63.
28.	Cherry opp. 61.
29.	Tulip Tree opp 57.
30.	Plum opp 56.
31.	Lilac opp 56.
32.	London Plane opp 55.
	CENTRAL AREA
33.	London Plane.
34.	Willow leafed Pear.
35.	Pride of India.

HORTICULTURAL NEWS ARCHIVE

• 2022

Tree surgery around the garden 22nd-25th March & 6th June 2022

The triennial pruning of the large plane trees in the garden, as well as routine maintenance to tidy the holly and other trees, was carried out by the Tree Agency over 4 days in March and 1 day in June. During this time, access to parts of the garden was restricted for safety reasons. Parking restrictions were in place around the garden.

Hosepipe Ban 24th August to 22nd November 2022

We complied with Thames Water's hosepipe and sprinkler ban, with our automated sprinkler system and the metal water feature shut off during the ban.

We have rainwater harvesting equipment attached to the garden shed roof to collect as much rainwater as we can into two water butts for use with watering cans which is especially useful during hose pipe bans.

Bulbs

Tulip bulbs were purchased and planted in readiness for next year.

Pride of India Trees

The health of the trees, located near the north gate and also the shed, are being monitored in collaboration with both RBKC's horticulturalist James Burton and the Royal Horticultural Society.

Our garden wins an award!

London Gardens Society awarded us a Certificate of Excellence for showing a pride in London by the cultivation of flowers and shrubs but especially for Small Private Squares in the London Squares Garden Competition 2022.

• 2021

Tree surgery on plane tree on west side of Garden

During a visit by the RBK&C arboriculturist earlier in the year, an observation was made of possible Massaria disease of London Plane (MDP) in one of our mature plane trees. This disease is unfortunately affecting a number of plane trees in the area, including on Royal Avenue, Chelsea.

A follow-up inspection of all trees by The Tree Agency confirmed the following:

'A climbing inspection for MDP was carried out on 13 July 2021 with some concern noted to inspect a limb over the garden with an easterly aspect which had a strip of discoloured bark. On further investigation it was revealed that it was strip canker due to severe pruning during drought & sapwood drying out. While climbing, MDP was discovered on secondary limbs attached to the primary limb. The limb MDP was removed (3m)...the NE primary stem was found to be moderately infected with MDP in the upper crown. The vertical stem had signs of shear cracks & later found the substantial stem was hollow 11m below the discovered MDP above. To compound this, strip canker was evident running down the stem to the cavity.'

As a result, we have had to have significant surgery performed on the tree to remove the affected parts, pre-empt further structure failure and equalise the crown of the tree due to the large stem reduction. The tree will unfortunately appear very denuded and truncated for the rest of the year. However, the aim is to save the tree and over time fresh growth should restore the tree to a healthy appearance.

Dutch Elm Disease

The Garden Subcommittee unfortunately has to report that Dutch elm disease infested the Wych Elm tree in the south-east corner of the garden. One large, diseased branch was removed and with the diagnosis confirmed, the Council authorised and directed the removal of the rest of the tree as soon as possible. This is very sad but unavoidable. Tree surgeons removed the tree in July and injected the stump with the recommended pesticide. It will be dug out completely in due course.