Roehampton Garden Society


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The Peregrine Falcon

October 2022
This Tuesday at 12.45 hrs. I saw a peregrine falcon over the allotments. It was soaring beautifully on a thermal. Recognisable by pointed wing tips and what I can best describe as a straight tail.

A solitary large crow was desperately flapping trying to reach it, with the obvious intention of mobbing it. The peregrine obliged and dropped down to the same level of the crow, who courageously tried a clumsy pecking and foot up attack on it. The peregrine then demonstrated how it’s done, turning in a blink of an eye and, in milliseconds, knocking feathers off said brave crow. It (crow) wisely then dropped a couple of hundred feet, but still followed the peregrine, escorting it off the premises of Dover House Road air space. 

The peregrine may have been one of the pair that nested atop Charing Cross Hospital this last couple of years..

with thanks to Bill Young Site 3

Here’s a website dedicated to the peregrines nesting on Charing Cross Hospital


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Centenary AGM Roundup


Changeover time for the committee at the AGM and prizegiving.
An evening made more enjoyable by Jackie Savage’s engaging talk on the History of the Roehampton Garden Society.


Special congratulations to Helen Finch and Jackie Savage who received a Wandsworth Civic Award pin for their work in keeping the allotments open through the Covid pandemic.

With many lovely pictures of the evening and extracts from the Chair’s annual report, Read the full AGM Bulletin from Carol Martinez here.


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Putney Community Gardens Nominated for Award

Congratulations to our friends the Putney Community Gardeners, who have been nominated for a Wandsworth Civic Award. They Say

“We’ve been nominated for a Wandsworth Council Civic Award! Whoop Whoop! Many thanks to everyone who put us forward for this! It’s thanks to all the wonderful neighbors, local residents and regular volunteers, gardeners and growers who keep on loving and caring for the gardens!  We’ll be visited by a team of film makers on the afternoon of Monday the 24th of October to make a short film about PCG to screen at the award ceremony.”

Connect with them at https://www.facebook.com/PutneyCommunityGardens/


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Welcoming Winter Fair – 12th November

Putney Community Gardens are delighted to invite you to its very first “Welcoming Winter Fair“, on Saturday November 12th, 4pm to 6pm at Boyd Court, with a lantern procession around the gardens from 6:15pm to 7pm.

  • Enjoy nice tea, coffee and cakes
  • Get affordable early Christmas presents from a selection of homemade products made by some PCG residents 
  • Learn about what PCG has achieved this year and what projects we are planning for 2023.
  • Participate in The Lantern Walk around the neighborhood
  • … and more
  • Kid’s activities – Raffle – Conviviality- Fun 

Could you help with the fair?

We are looking for a FEW VOLUNTEERS TO HELP ON THE DAY AND AT THE LANTERN WORKSHOP THE DAY BEFORE THE EVENT. Please get in touch with Marjorie at info@putneycommunitygardens.org for more details and mention ‘Winter Fair’ in the subject.
If you’re interested in MAKING HANDMADE PRODUCTS TO SELL AT THE FAIR please also contact Marjorie as above. We are welcoming products made from your gardens or foraging such as jams, products from creative crafts and hobbies such as knitted goodies, wooden decorations, etc… As long as you made those products yourself and are willing to sell them at a reasonable price.


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An invitation from St. Margaret’s Church

We are holding our Harvest Festival next Sunday 9th October.  Our Service is at 10am followed by a BBQ lunch and we would like to extend an invitation to everyone at Roehampton Garden Society to join us.

We are holding a plant sale on the day, our parishioners are bringing plants to sell or to donate, and we wondered if any of your members have any vegetables that they would like to sell or give to us to display at our Harvest Service?

It would be nice to have a plant sale and a vegetable sale outside church or in, depending on the weather. All proceeds on the day are going to Glass Door Homeless Charity and we are collecting food etc for our Local Food Bank. Please read the wish list for the food bank opposite:

Members who wish to contribute plants, vegetables, fruit or other goods to this sale – please use the collection boxes in the Potting Shed on Site 3 and in the Tea Hut (behind the store) on site 2. Your produce or donations will be taken to St. Margarets.


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Barelaas – a taste of Nepal

Karma picking the barelaas on Plot 68
A delicacy in a stir fry

Barelaas or are a Nepalese delicacy – useful in a stir fry – and growing very well on plot 68!

Barelaa (Balsam Apple) – बरेला
Barelaa is a late summer vegetable measuring between 1 to 2 inches long, slightly curved at one end with soft and delicate texture. The pale green juicy fruit looks somewhat like a pointed gourd (parwar or parvar).  The vegetable is picked and cooked when it is young and tender.  The mature overripe ones have numerous black rough seeds, which should be removed before cooking.  Since this vegetable is very delicate, it cooks quickly.

with thanks to the Taste of Nepal blogspot… website here


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A Green Space Map to see in Store now

London has become the world’s first National Parks City.

Our map – available to all members to browse in the Store -shows all green spaces and water reservoirs within the M25 area.

The aim of the National Parks City is to encourage more people to enjoy the great outdoors and to support all Londoners, and the city’s businesses and institutions, in making the city greener, healthier and wilder.

More than half of the world’s population now live in cities and the trend towards more urban-living is growing; London is set to be home to over 11 million people by 2050. Cities have to adapt if we want liveable neighbourhoods in the future that respond to the challenges of climate change, help to conserve biodiversity and provide people with healthy, active lifestyles. A study has shown the capital avoids £950 million per year in health costs due to the benefits Londoners gain from using green spaces.

So many places to go and things to enjoy! See much more on this website.


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Bruce May

We are sorry to hear of the death of longstanding member and plotholder and Bruce May.

I am sorry to have to announce the death of Bruce May who was a long standing plot holder of plot 102B. His plot was always a delight particularly as it charmingly had a heart shaped narrow grass path at its centre. He was an excellent gardener so, when it became vacant, he was offered plot 103B as additional land. The plot had been horribly neglected but he quickly managed to tame it and made it very productive.
Bruce was always a pleasant, calm influence on site 3. He helped with plot inspections on several occasions representing the non-committee member of the inspection team. Sadly he was very ill for a couple of years prior to his final demise but his family were able to continue to cultivate his plot and bring produce from the plot for Bruce to enjoy.
He will be missed.

Helen Finch