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Inspired by the Royal British Legion's Centenary Poppy Campaign, Harringay Online & Bowes and Bounds Connected are setting a target to get a million poppies blooming across the borough as a living memorial to the fallen of the Great War from the local community.
The aim is to collect sufficient donations from local people across the borough to buy one million Flanders poppy seeds. Purchased through the Royal British Legion's campaign partners, £1 of every £3.00 pack of 10,000 seeds will go direct to the Royal British Legion.
The seeds will then be packed into convenient community planter envelopes and made available at partner locations around the borough. Anyone can collect seeds for guerrilla or small group planting and we'll also be arranging a few 'Million Poppy' seed sowing events. (Let us know if you'd like one in your area).
When I heard about what the Royal British Legion are doing I felt sure this would work for our area and Liz and Richard seem equally enthusiastic. What do you think? Where should we target in Harringay?
We have a few ducks to get in a row the biggest of which is getting permission from landowners. Liz is coralling some of our local gardening experts and may even base her Spring seed swap around this theme.
After that it's all down to you. Fancy making a donation? The cheapest way is through Harringay Online's Sustainability Account via Paypal. Please be generous. Remember £1.00 in every 3 donated will go straight to the Royal British Legion. The remainder will be used to plant a spectacular living memorial in this centenary year.
Tags for Forum Posts: haringey million poppies
If we must import such foreign invaders into our green and pleasant land, let it be the true Poppy of Forgetfulness - papaver somniferum vel papaver orientale - rather than the false and blowsy Poppy of pseudo-Remembrance - papaver rhoeas. I tell you, by the time we limp past the 11th of the 11th of the 11th, 2018, bent double, like old beggars under sacks, knock-kneed, coughing like hags as we curse through the sludge of those final dredged up TV memorials, we'll be bloody glad of the opium of forgetfulness and the morphine for the sofa-bound pain in the arse that is Paxman (vir Pacis).
Ovid's Metamorphoses, be my companion!
"There silence dwells: only the lazy stream / Of Lethe 'neath the rock with whisper low / O'er pebbly shallows trickling lulls to sleep. / Before the cavern's mouth lush poppies grow / And countless herbs, from whose bland essences / A drowsy infusion Nox distils and / Sprinkles sleep across the darkening world."
By way of an update, £170 has been donated so far. Full accounting of all donations is being kept.
We have our first two locations identified subject to confirmation and are meeting with Haringey Council next week.
Please keep your location suggestions, other ideas and donations coming!
Hi F P R
Yep - you're the third person I know of who's said recently that they have planted poppy seeds and none came up. I'm told that poppies can be cantankerous. They like well drained soil, so given the current levels of rain, we may have a bit of a problem...
This might help http://www.wikihow.com/Grow-Poppies
Fran
We'll be getting (and brokering) the best horticultural advice we can to maximise the chances of successful germination.
Have been trawling thro' this chain of messages and think it's a wonderful idea. As a member of the Muswell Hill & District Hortic Soc I wonder if perhaps we should get them involved if they've not already been approached as there's lots of knowledge among members about all sorts of plants and flowers. Am also keen on behalf of the Stroud Green RA to get some seeds to plant in 2 large troughs at the corner of Mount View and Ferme Park Roads and around the newly dug bases of trees in Stapleton Hall Road.
If you'd like to pursue the MHDHS, please let me know. In the meantime I'll make a donation towards the seeds.
Kit
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