The Friends of Broomfield Park have won three awards in this year's Enfield in Bloom competition:
- the Park itself was awarded Silver in the category for Maintained Parks
- Broomfield Community Orchard won Silver in the Innovative Growing Space category
- Broomfield Conservatory was awarded Bronze for its Exceptional Horticultural Contribution to the Local Community.
Broomfield Community Orchard - apples and bees in evidenceThe Orchard and Conservatory are both projects run by the Friends, while the Park as an entirety is the responsibility of Enfield Council. However, the Friends help out the enthusiastic, but extremely small, team of Council-employed gardeners, by looking after some of the flower beds, such as the round bed outside the Conservatory, the Dipali Memorial Garden and the Sensory Garden. In fact, Enfield Council's contribution to the "blooming" of Broomfield Park has been rather small this year. Several flower beds adjacent to the remains of Broomfield House have been left bare this year because the Council failed to purchase any bedding plants for them. If these had been their usual colourful selves, would Broomfield have won Gold?
The Orchard is truly an innovative growing space. Since taking over the former bowling green in 2009, the volunteer team has planted more than 70 fruit trees - mainly apples, but also peach, quince, medlar, mulberry and pear - plus a new hawthorn hedge. On top of that there are three beehives. The Orchard is open to the public every Sunday afternoon, and also on the first and third Saturday mornings of each month, and has played host to several events this year, including a Bee Fun Day, a Summer Picnic and a Wassailing event. The next special event is an Apple Day on 20th October, when you can expect music, dancing, cakes, cider and... apples.
The Conservatory is another remarkable success story. This beautiful structure, built in 1934, was at one time open every day, but following Council cutbacks succumbed to vandalism and was closed.
Three years ago the Council paid for it to be restored to its former glory, but since then planting and opening to the public has been left to the Friends of Broomfield Park. They open it on Wednesday and Sunday afternoons for two hours (2.30-4.30 in Summer, 2pm-4pm in Winter). The Conservatory is full of exotic plants, including this year a new collection of edible plants.
Banana flower in Broomfield ConservatoryIts crowning success this year has been the appearance of a banana flower, with bunches of bananas growing behind it. The first since the Conservatory was reopened.
The Friends will be holding one of their quarterly public meetings at 7.30 on Wednesday 9th October, when the public will be briefed by the Police, the Council, the Broomfield House Working Group and, of course, the Friends themselves. Everyone with an interest in the Park is welcome.
To find out more about the Friends of Broomfield Park and their work and public events, be sure to visit their website.
