Edible Askew Road Launches on Saturday May 18

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Shepherd's Bush Road to become river of fruit trees

Local environmental charity, the Hammersmith Community Gardens Association and residents, shops and local businesses are to turn the Askew Road into a river of fruit trees between May 18 and June 9 for the first Edible Askew Road festival.

Edible Askew Road will begin with a big launch event taking place at 11 am on Saturday May 18. It's all part of the Chelsea Fringe, a festival of flowers, gardens and gardening which will be held across London over three weeks to coincide with the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

" The rationale behind this local community event is to bring people together and enjoy the fun of growing, sharing and transforming the Askew Road by greening up our patch with blossoming apple, peach, pear and plum trees under-planted with herbs to create a corridor of flowers for bees, butterflies and pollinating insects," says Annie Pennington from Askew Business Network.

The library is joining local shops and businesses in signing up and is linking its Edible Askew Road with the children’s book Each, Peach, Pear Plum by Allan Ahlberg. It will display these trees and have children’s activities running throughout the three weeks.

The library has also partnered up with Greenside Primary School on a number of activities and will donate its trees to the school.

There will be planting sessions during the week before the launch, from May 13, at the Ravenscourt Glasshouses - check Hammersmith Community Gardens Association website for details. Local school children will decorate the trees with colourful paper bees and butterflies for the trees.

Edible Askew Road will be launched between 11 am and 2.30 pm on Saturday May 18 with much fanfare including food, pedal-powered smoothie bikes, discovery trails, and entertainers such as Albert & Friends and stilt-walkers, a BBQ at The Eagle and much more.

Local historian Caroline MacMillan will also run her popular discovery tour of Askew Road and tell us about the history behind the shops and area. Did you know, Alishiba was a rabbit breeder and the funeral directors’ the local baker?

The three weeks will culminate with a concert and wine-tasting fund-raiser at the Ravenscourt Park Glasshouses organised by the HCGA to be held on Friday June 7.

You will find more information and details on how to take part and sponsor a fruit tree at Edible Askew Road.

 

May 10, 2013