Quadron idverde has supported the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham (LBHF) Projects Team, Thames Water, and students from Hammersmith Academy in planting the first two Melina Road Rain Gardens, as part of a sustainable urban drainage (SUD) project.

Quadron idverde’s Hammersmith team has said that it was thrilled to receive the call from LBHF project officer, Penny Brennan, to support the first planting day, which took place on 7 June 2016, with students from Hammersmith Academy planting up the first two rain garden beds.

The Melina Road Rain Garden Scheme forms part of the wider Counters Creek Sustainable Drainage Pilot Project developed by Thames Water. The scheme aims to alleviate surface water flooding on the road and pedestrian area at times of heavy rainfall by slowing the flow of excess rainwater. The water will filter through the sustainable drainage system beneath the rain gardens and slowly flow into the sewer network.

After consultation with Hammersmith Academy, Thames Water and the LBHF parks team, Quadron idverde procured a range of suitable plants for the planting day.

To begin the planting event, Elizabeth Sale from Thames Water explained the concept of sustainable urban drainage systems and how the Melina Road rain garden will function.

After this, the LBHF project officer, Penny Brennan, and Quadron idverde services development manager, Preeti Chatwal-Kauffman, began to lay out the plants and explained why the particular varieties had been chosen.

Gardeners Jack and Wolf from Quadron idverde’s Hammersmith team then went through the finer points of planting with the students, including preparing planting pits, mixing compost, soil and bone meal, and ensuring the plants’ roots were well firmed in and the stock watered.

Kensington and Chelsea and Hammersmith and Fulham’s Bi-borough parks manager, Ian Ross, and Quadron idverde corporate development manager, Andrew Kauffman, also joined the team to encourage the students and help with the planting, along with teachers and support staff from the Academy, who worked tirelessly alongside the students to get the two rain beds planted.

Thames Water’s contracts manager, Geoff Brumbridge, commented: “It has been a great pleasure for us to have the support and involvement of the Academy students and members of staff, the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, and Quadron idverde for the planting of the first two rain gardens at Melina Road, which are part of our sustainable drainage pilot project.”

Quadron idverde service development manager, Preeti Chatwal-Kauffman, added: “It was amazing planting with the students from the Hammersmith Academy—they have definitely got green fingers. The new Melina Road rain gardens will not only contribute to flood attenuation by taking excess water from the pedestrian areas, but will also add visual interest to the street. Quadron idverde looks forward to working with the LBHF client, Hammersmith Academy and Thames Water later in the year on the remaining three beds, and we hope to see a ‘Friends of Melina Gardens’ group formed from residents from the surrounding streets.”