Foundation – End Polio Now – 4th Nov 2020 – Part 3
Wandsworth Park – 3200 crocuses planted
Photo by Pat Gross, Friends of Wandsworth Park who helped plant 3, 200 crocuses with Putney Rotary.
Thousands of crocuses planted – Wandsworth Council reports on the splash of purple to bloom next Spring!
Donate at any time via https://www.endpolio.org/donate
Read more at Halloween Bake Sale – Part 1
The Challenge – Part 3
Putney Rotary Club wanted to raise awareness of polio in our community, and raise funds for the global campaign to end polio.
Rotary’s Purple Crocuses
Putney Rotary Club donated 3200 crocus corms to our Wandsworth community, to create a splash of purple colour in Wandsworth Park, come springtime next year. Crocuses are being planted right across Great Britain and Ireland, so wherever you see purple crocuses, it may be your local Rotary Club’s work!
Friends of Wandsworth Park kindly donated their time and planting expertise, together with idVerde, the Wandsworth Council parks contractor, and Putney Rotarians.
The colour purple is symbolic in the fight against polio, inspired by the colour of the dye painted on the little finger of a child to signify they have received the polio vaccine.
Here’s more information about the End Polio campaign and Rotary International’s involvement.
For lighting up Wandsworth Town Hall & St Mary’s Church, Putney in Purple, read – Part 2
The Solution – Part 3
Many Rotary Clubs around the world have planted purple crocuses in the shape of a Rotary wheel. The 2020-21 crocus wheel is a 1st for Putney Rotary!
We measured out a Rotary Wheel shape with string first, and then carefully cut out segments of turf. After lifting the turf in sections, we then neatly placed the corms under the turf so the clever squirrels couldn’t reach the bulbs.
For our green-fingered gardeners in the Wandsworth community, the crocus species is Ruby Giant – Crocus tommasinianus.
Huge thanks for making our vision a reality:
- Wandsworth Mayor Cllr. Jane Cooper.
- Jo Shearer at Wandsworth Council.
- Pat Gross, Chair of Friends of Wandsworth Park.
- Cllr Steffi Sutters from Wandsworth Council.
- Sue, Pam & David from Friends of Wandsworth Park.
- Paul from IdVerde.
The purple crocus Rotary Wheel in Wandsworth Park has emerged this March 2021. Bloomin’ marvelous!
Collage of the Rotary Wheel of purple crocuses
A wonderful project completed
Friends of Wandsworth Park crocus photo
March 2021 – Spring purple crocuses are out!
Purple Crocuses in the Rotary Wheel Wandsworth Park
Close up fo the beautiful crocuses
Putney Rotary Crocuses are blooming in Wandsworth Park
Absolutely gorgeous purple crocuses
Purple Crocus Rotary Wheel Wandsworth Park
The wheel has started to come alive!
Rotarian Ali & President Putney Rotary Club Lu
A job well done! We can’t wait for the purple splash of colour to emerge in the spring.
Purple Putney Rotary Crocus Wheel Wandsworth Park
Close up of the beautiful purple crocuses
Rotarian Ali point to the planned Rotary Wheel
We laid out the Rotary Wheel with string before beginning.
The team of planters Wandsworth Park
A selfie with President Lu, Rotarian Ali, Chair Pat of FOWP and volunteer gardeners, Pam & Sue with Paul from IdVerde.
Rotarian Ali cutting turf
First we mapped out the wheel, then we cut the turf, then planted bulbs, and covered them over.
Paul from IdVerde
The first turf section is lifted for the Putney Rotary Wheel of crocuses.
Rotary Wheel layout begins
Pat, Chair of FOWP and Paul from IdVerde start cutting the turf.
2021.03.14 PRC Crocus wheel Wandsworth Park 2
Pat, Chair Friends of Wandsworth Park
Pat from FOWP & Paul from IdVerde laying out the Rotary Wheel.
Friends of Wandsworth Park
David planting the Rotary Wheel of crocuses in Wandsworth Park.
The crocus wheel has begun
Friends of Wandsworth Park, Pam & Pat & Paul IdVerde with Ali from Putney Rotary.
The centre piece
The Rotary Wheel of crocuses will have spokes, a centre and the circle of purple.
Rotary Wheel center is created
President of Putney Rotary Club, Lu McCance-Price with Chair of Friends of Wandsworth Park hard at work.
String is done, now to cut the turf
president of Putney Rotary Club Lu, begins to cut the spokes of the Rotary Wheel.
Almost done!
President of Putney Rotary Club, Lu, starts replacing the turf.
Team of willing volunteers
Friends of Wandsworth Park & Putney Rotary get together to create a wheel of purple crocuses.
Planting the centre piece
Putney Rotary President, Lu, plants crocus corms in the centre of the wheel.
Rotarian Ali in full swing!
It was a lovely sunny day in Wandsworth Park with miles all round.
Rotarian Ali planting
Taking a break from setting up his restaurant, Ali volunteers at Wandsworth Park.
Team of crocus planters
The wheel is coming to fruition!
The finished Rotary Wheel
The squirrels can’t get to the crocus bulbs – now we wait until spring for our wheel of purple!