Meristem Present at Healthy Streets 2017

Meristem Design were asked to present at the Healthy Streets event on the 28th Sept at Waltham Forest Town Hall.  During a packed session we presented to a host of local authorities, TfL and London assembly delegates on the subject of Community Pop Up Parklets.

Parklets have been popping up across London and we have been working with a number of London Councils and TfL to bring more to the area. Our modular Parklets which can be arranged in any layout and any size making them suitable for many locations. 

Mersitem Parklet arrive's at TfL's Palestra Offices

As everyone knows Parklets are popping up all across London, so when TfL wanted to commission a Parklet for their own Head Office Palestra we were delighted they chose Meristem Design as their preferred partner.

The Parklet was installed on the 25th September to coincide with the Mayors Transport Strategy open day at Palestra attended by TfL and GLA employees to provide feedback on the consultation so far.

TfL is also hoping the Parklet in the reception which will be seen by all visitors to the offices to create debate and to generate interest for more of them on our streets.

Garden Party in Shoreditch on World Car Free Day

What a difference a day makes…

Hackney council asked us to pull out all the stops to show Londoners what you can do in one of the busiest parts of London when you close a road for a day.

With the help of some friendly traffic wardens Hackney closed off the road and brought some of the countryside to the heart of London.  

Where normally 6 cars would be parked we created: 
40 sq mtrs of real turf grass (recycled in someones garden later)
80 hay bales to create seating and colour
20 deck chairs
Lots of garden games including table tennis, giant skittles and a bowling alley
Music
6 food and drink stalls including a champaign bar on a cargo bike (our favourite stall, hic..) & of-course we also arranged for it to be the sunniest day of the month!

It was loved by 100's of local workers, mums with kids and local residents alike.

Well done Hackney, what a show!

RHS Living Wall

Meristem were delighted to work with the Royal Horticultural Society at the Landscape Show 2017.

Our living wall created the perfect backdrop for the RHS to chat to those visiting their stand.

We used a combination of bergenia, convolvulus, carex, ferns, erysimum bowles mauve and liriope muscari to create a natural aesthetic. 

Meristem Tree Planters on our roads, a growing trend in London

The planters installed here on the junction of Rivington Street and Charlotte Road have slowed down passing traffic and made the area safer for pedestrians and locals.  Therefore we’re hoping to see more of them on our roads in London.  

They also fit in well with the London Mayor’s Transport Strategy of promoting healthy, greener, less polluted streets.  The greenery certainly helps to make the area more appealing to local residents, shoppers and patrons of the Junction pub who no longer need to be weary of speeding vehicles.

The trees we planted included olive trees and magnolia grandiflora, they were specifically selected as they are evergreen and the magnolias flowers give off a lovely aroma.  At the base of the planters we planted a variety of flowering annuals and herbs so next time the local residents are cooking lamb they are welcome to use few sprigs of Rosemary to throw in the pot!

 

Meristem Parklet Shortlisted for the Healthy Streets Awards 2017

We’re delighted to announce our Parklet has been shortlisted for the Healthy Streets Awards.  The Parklet forms part of the Shoreditch Low Emission Neighborhood scheme which is a Tri-Borough collaboration between Hackney, Tower Hamlets, Islington and the Mayor of London.  

A Parklet is a pavement extension that provides seating, greenery and amenities for the public using the street. Usually Parklets are installed on parking bays and use 2 or more parking spaces. They typically extend out from the pavement no wider than an average car parking bay of 2 mtrs, our Parklet is 10 mtrs X 2mtrs.  They are well established in countries like US, Canada and Australia and are now catching on in the UK.

Our approach is quite unique in that we have teamed up with a local charity called the Spitalfields Trust Crypt (SCT) established in 1965, they support people in East London who are recovering from drug and alcohol addiction.

The charity helped to install the unit, they also maintain it by carrying out weekly inspections, checking the health of the plants and trees, watering and trimming the plants where necessary. They also carry out any minor repairs where needed.

The tie in with SCT also allows them to provide us with valuable data so we can monitor how it is being used and the type of people who use it.  

The announcement is to be made on the 28th September so fingers and toes crossed!

Mayfair Living Wall

Our latest living wall installation created a peaceful courtyard area for our client. We used a mixture of ferns, fatsia japonica, convolvulus, berginia and rosemary to bring luscious greenery to an urban back garden.