13 Apr International Plant Appreciation Day
13th April marks International Plant Appreciation Day. What are we doing at Hammersmith BID to make sure people are living and working in a green and clean environment that they can be proud of?
Award-winning Business Parklets
One way to demonstrate our commitment to greening the area is through our award-winning Business Parklets. Eight previous parking spaces are now vibrant green Parklets with places to sit. The Parklets include 3m high pergolas, Wi-Fi, and electric charging points. Having the Parklets as a green oasis is a welcome juxtaposition to the traffic. This contrast has encouraged businesses to take more ownership in bringing tangible solutions to the issue of air quality. There is a desire to see fewer polluting vehicles on the road and we hope this will bring about further behaviour change and encourage greening.
Hanging Baskets
Every year, Hammersmith BID’s hanging baskets make a welcome return to the centre! During our ongoing consultations, businesses have highlighted the importance of additional planting for creating a sense of well-being across the area. The BID focuses on delivering more greening initiatives to help transform Hammersmith into a more horticultural and bio-diverse place. We continue to fund the hanging baskets, allowing the town to appear welcoming and encouraging passers-by to stop and explore.
Bees at the Lyric Hammersmith
In 2018, we partnered with the Lyric Theatre to place 3 hives on their roof. The roof garden contains around 180,000 Buckfast bees. Having bees helps Lyric’s green sedum roof mature through pollination and helps improve air quality and biodiversity locally.
Some of the bee-friendly plants you and your businesses can plant include:
-
-
- Single flowers e.g. single dahlias
- Purple flowers e.g. lavender
- Tubular-shaped flowers e.g. honeysuckles, foxgloves, and snapdragons
-
Equally, if you would like an apiary in your building, please get in touch.
Planters & Ivy Screens under the Flyover
Hammersmith BID secured funding from the Mayor of London to transform the space under Hammersmith’s flyover. Implementing ivy screens and planters has provided a natural barrier against vehicle emissions from Talgarth Road. Users have remarked upon the planters and ivy screening, saying how they have much improved the look and feel of the space. The protection they provide as they block vehicle fumes from entering the lungs of passers-by once again demonstrates the power of plants.
Litter Picking Events
At Hammersmith BID, we have worked hard in 2022/2023 to extend our Green Volunteering programme. We have hosted Litter Picking events with businesses and the wider community. We are determined to continue changing behaviour by spotlighting the problem and offering creative solutions for improving the environment on everyone’s doorstep. By removing litter from Hammersmith, we are helping to create an environment where all plants can thrive!
Some of our upcoming events include:
Additional Information
For more information about how you can get involved with our greening initiatives, please reach out via email.