We have some gaps to fill in Europe’s longest, oldest green wall…and we need your help!
I took some cuttings of Japanese spindle today and I hope they take so we can replant the gaps in the wall at Duke’s Mound.
If you can help Building Green by taking some cuttings and growing them on for us, please get in touch!
We need to plant up gaps in the wall like this.
Merry Christmas from Madeira Drive green wall, Brighton. Japanese spindle fruits
A walk along Duke’s Mound showed the Japanese Spindle coming into fruit…strange fruits they are too! Beautiful though. And don’t forget to pledge in the campaign to Save Madeira Terrace….only two days left!
Those wonderful Green Gym volunteers were at it again this week, pruning and improving the famous Green Wall at Madeira Drive. Thank you Green Gym!
The green wall originally extended down to the Palace Pier, and Building Green would love to see it fully restored to its original condition.
That ain’t going to happen unless the Madeira Terrace restoration goes ahead – the green wall and the Victorian terraces are inter-related – so please donate to the ‘Save Madeira Terrace’ campaign.
Currently standing at £381k out of a required £422k…deadline 30 November!
Video here.
Building Green attended an important first meeting about the future of Madeira Drive recently.
The Council hosted the meeting, and invitees included a number of community organisations like ours, local businesses, interested residents and others. There were some big names in the room, which bodes well for the level of interest in regenerating the neglected East Brighton seafront.
Building Green spoke about the value and importance of the Madeira Drive Green Wall, which contributes vital natural heritage alongside the built heritage of the seafront. We will be offering the expertise the support of our volunteers to ensure the green wall is protected and enhanced as part of any future development.
The meeting discussed the new crowdfunding appeal – to be launched soon – plans and suggestions for future development, and ‘meanwhile’ uses to bring much needed life, recreation and business activity to Madeira Drive.
On our way to the meeting, we stopped off at the Fishing Museum and found a woodcut that offers an important clue to the founding of the green wall. For some time, Building Green has been looking for evidence of when the wall was first planted (with Japanese Spindle). Our hunch was that it was earlier than 1880, though the only documentary evidence points to 1882 (JB Evison 1969 ‘Gardening by the sea’). Well, I know you’re holding your breath, so…the woodcut print was published in 1872 and seems to show evenly spaced shrubs planted along the footing of the cliff. How exciting!
For a full history of our wonderful Madeira Drive, visit our unique page.
15 volunteers from Portslade Green Gym have given the foliage at the Madeira Drive green wall a makeover. They cleared huge piles of weeds and ivy that were smothering the bed, getting onto the pavement, and crowding out the more attractive wild plants. Over 100 species of plant have been found at the Madeira Drive green wall. The Green Gym were supervised by Building Green member The Ecology Consultancy.
The Council cleared away the green waste the same day, and this end of the green wall is looking much smarter.
Building Green will be seeding the bed to encourage more wild flowers. We will also be working with the Council to establish new Japanese spindle planting in front of the freshly concreted stretch.
The rest of the Victorian green wall is currently out of bounds due to the instability of the antique ironwork of Madeira Terrace.
We’re meeting on Marine Parade, at the top of the ramp up from Madeira Drive.
Just here.
We’ll be weeding the beds, sowing some seeds and probably planting some cuttings of Japanese spindle.
Come along to help, or just to say hi!
Here is the seed list – it will add colour and interest and help keep some of the less interesting weeds down.
