This week, 600 schoolchildren are planting 60,000 daffodil bulbs along the Serpentine in Hyde Park as part of 'Green Fingers in the Park' to give visitors a riot of continuing colour in the Park for the springtime.
Hyde Park is known for its well-tended and colourful flowerbeds. But the daffodils along the Serpentine have been dying back in recent years, which has been exacerbated by the wet summer in 2012 and cold winter in 2012/2013.
Pupils from the Francis Holland School, Sloane Square and their parents raised the £35,000 needed for the planting earlier year. The fundraising efforts – which included cake sales and a sponsored run – were topped off with a sponsored ‘Daffodil Walk’ around the Serpentine in June.
Their fantastic fundraising have also allowed state and special needs schools to take part in Daffodil Week and to experience the magical educational experiences connecting children with nature.
The children are planting the bulbs all week and includes pupils from St Barnabas School, Millbank, Hampden Gurney, and Frank Barnes School for Deaf Children, as well as the girls from the Francis Holland School, Sloane Square.
Mrs Lucy Elphinstone, Headmistress of Francis Holland School, Sloane Square said: "Parents, pupils and friends of Francis Holland School all caught the vision of creating a legacy for London, raising £35,000 in just a few weeks of energetic fund-raising to ensure Hyde Park is once again full of daffodils, the School’s emblem.
"We are proud to have given something back to this amazing city and to have enabled other children to learn about the wonders of nature.We want to say a huge thanks to all the children for their momentous effort with planting so many bulbs and to all the parents and volunteers who made it possible.
"We hope you will visit the Serpentine in years to come and like Wordsworth says, your 'hearts are filled with pleasure' and you will 'dance with the daffodils!"
16 October 2013
