The children's playground was installed in 2022, to the delight of the residents of Elmington Estate. However, an access road through the estate travels alongside it and children are currently able to run directly into the road. The idea of the hedging came about primarily as a safety precaution for this.
We decided to plant a mixed variety of blackthorn; hawthorn; dog rose; field maple; hazel and bird cherry. This type of hedging will not only look more attractive to the hundreds of residents whose properties overlook the playground, but will increase biodiversity. Hedges provide great shelter to birds, with these varieties attracting butterflies; ladybirds and bees. Hedging is also a great way of offsetting carbon emissions, providing children cleaner air while they play.
Planting began in March 2024, with a lot of residents who were not ECG volunteers getting involved with planting. Special thanks to News UK and Charles Tyrwhitt for booking corporate volunteer days, your help was greatly appreciated!
The hedging will be maintained by students of Arco Academy, based in Camberwell Leisure Centre. They will also design and paint the raised beds we installed with the hedging. Taking ownership of the playground most of them personally use. We can't wait to see what they come up with!
