Wandsworth Park, London

Anonymous Wandsworth Park

Wandsworth Park is one of the many faintly anonymous London parks. To distinguish it from others, it has a café and mini-golf course, a sculpture trail, and a very fine avenue of limes. It’s a nice place to stop on a walk by the river.

Apparently Wandsworth Park was built in 1898 from allotment gardens. I can’t help but wish that the allotments could come back. There can never be enough allotments. They transform peoples lives, giving exercise, purpose and community spirit.

Wandsworth Park lime trees

The avenue of limes in Wandsworth Park is a splendid sight. The variety is probably the hybrid common lime, or linden (Tilia x europaea). Sculptors and carvers have used Limewood extensively for hundreds of years. The flowers make excellent tea. Aphids are attracted to the sap, and ants are attracted to the aphids, farming them for honeydew. Because of this insect synergy, sticky honeydew quickly covers cars left under limes in the summer. The limes seem unharmed by this aphid farming. Another benefit of limes is that bees love the flowers. Lime honey is very rich in flavour.

This little board is one of a number that I produce from time to time. They are useful for small spaces, either framed or propped on a stand.

On a different scale, you might like this larger painting of Trafalgar Square.