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@wwcommon

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We work to engage the community in the protection, conservation and enhancement of the Common.
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Welcome to this weeks Floralishus Seedy Sunday | Grasses & Meadows Seed Edition

There’s something rather wonderful about the grasses and meadows at this time of year.

Feathery plumes catching the autumn light, delicate seed heads swaying in the breeze, wildflower seeds waiting to travel and those beautifully sculptural shapes that remain long after Summer has passed.

And this week, we’re celebrating them through our 5 Reasons to Join Floralishus Seedy Sunday.

1. Community: From countryside meadows to little patches of long grass in our city parks, every photograph adds something different to our shared appreciation of nature.

2. Creativity: Explore the wonderful shapes, colours, textures and movement of grasses and meadow seeds. There’s inspiration everywhere when we take a closer look.

3. Discovery: Learn how meadow plants disperse their seeds, from windborne travellers to those that hitch a ride on passing wildlife.

4. Inspiration: Every seed carries the possibility of new growth, helping to sustain the meadows and wild spaces that support so much biodiversity.

5. Joy: Sometimes the greatest pleasure comes from noticing something small and beautiful that we might otherwise have walked straight past.

We’d love you to join us!

Whether you’ve found a beautiful grass seed head, a feathery plume, a dried wildflower seed or something you can’t quite identify, we’d love to see your discoveries.

📸 Post your photograph on your own Instagram account.

🏷 Add #FloralishusSeedySunday in your caption.

📍 Tag @flora.lishus

No specialist knowledge needed, and no perfect photographs expected. Just a shared curiosity and love of the natural world.

Because our meadows have so much more to offer than beautiful Summer flowers. Even as Autumn settles in, they’re full of stories, surprises and the promise of what comes next.

What wonderful little meadow treasures have you discovered lately?

Photography Credit: Raw Photography of @ftsq_go_on
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#floralishus
#seeds
#seedheads
#grassseed

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The crabapple trees on Wandsworth Common are full of fruit at the moment, bringing little bursts of colour to an Autumn walk.

Crabapples can be quite sharp eaten straight from the tree, but that tartness makes them wonderfully useful in the kitchen. Their natural pectin helps a jelly set, and they can also be cooked into a sweet jam/jelly, chutney or apple sauce, made into juice or cider, pickled whole, or turned into fruit leather.

So many possibilities tucked inside these small fruits. We love that a familiar tree on the Common can offer both a moment to pause and a little inspiration for the kitchen.

What would you make with crabapples?

#Floralishus
#floralishusfruitsandberries
#floralishusfinds
#WandsworthCommon
#Crabapples

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Welcome to this weeks #FernFriday with @exotic.fern.group

This week we’re focused on a second wind for some Hart’s-Tongue Ferns.

What a difference a little Autumn rain makes! These beautiful Hart’s-Tongue Ferns (Asplenium scolopendrium) are growing between the stones surrounding the Lawn Bowls area on @wwcommon seem to be enjoying a welcome revival after a particularly punishing Summer.

And there are some interesting reasons why!

- An unusual fern: Unlike many woodland ferns that prefer acidic soils, Hart’s-Tongue Ferns often thrive in alkaline conditions, including the lime-rich mortar and stonework of old walls.

- A seasonal comeback: Their thick, leathery fronds help reduce moisture loss, while established crowns can survive periods of drought. Autumn rain can restore their appearance and support fresh growth.

- A clever defence: Those glossy green fronds have a protective cuticle, a waxy outer layer that helps limit water loss. Particularly useful when summer temperatures soar!

- A little garden history: Dry-stone walls have long been features of British landscapes and gardens. Their sheltered crevices provide conditions similar to the rocky limestone habitats where Hart’s-Tongue Ferns naturally flourish.

After watching so many ferns struggle through the Summer, it’s wonderful to see these familiar residents looking green and vigorous again.

Sometimes Autumn isn’t about things dying back. It’s about coming back to life.

Photography Credit: Raw Photography of @ftsq_go_on
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#Floralishus
#floralishusfriday
#floralishusfieldtrip
#WandsworthCommon

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⭐️A NEW BEAUTIFY BALHAM PLANTER IN BALHAM!⭐️

We’re thrilled to have added a new planter next to Balham Station. A big thank you to Southern Rail Community Partnership for their collaboration. We hope to add more in the coming weeks so do look out for them 🌹🪻🌼🐝🌷

@southernrailuk
#southerneailcommunitypartnership
#beautifybalham
#nationalemergencybriefing
#balhamnewsie
#balhamcommunity

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We came across this Slender Vervain (Verbena rigida) over the weekend: a bright cluster of purple against the familiar green of @wwcommon originally from South America, its native range stretches from Bolivia to Uruguay, including parts of Brazil. @kewgardens records it as having been introduced in Great Britain with it’s first recorded reference being that of it flowering in a garden in Edinburgh in 1831, but we don’t know the particular story of this plant, how it got from Scotland to London who knows.

That’s part of the pleasure of looking closely. A flower can prompt us to think about the journeys plants make, the choices behind our public landscapes, and the different kinds of life a flowering patch may support.

Slender Vervain can self-seed, and its flowers attract bees, butterflies and other pollinators. If you’re growing it, choose a sunny spot with well-drained soil; it can cope with some dry conditions once established.

Have you spotted a plant on your local walk that made you wonder how it got there?

Enjoy the purple haze of this beauty on this fine Autumnal Thursday.

Photography credit: Raw Photography of @ftsq_go_on
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#Floralishus
#floralishusfinds
#WandsworthCommon
#SlenderVervain
#purpleflowers

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A Little Colour for the Soul | Salvia ‘Hot Lips’

As the days grow shorter, the temperatures drop and the skies turn a little greyer, there’s something rather wonderful about finding a splash of colour still flourishing in our gardens and green spaces.

We’ve been enjoying the delightful Salvia ‘Hot Lips’, photographed around the Lawn Bowls area of @wwcommon and a lovely example also spotted at @lullingstonecastle earlier last month.

And beyond those charming red and white flowers, there’s a little more to love about this cheerful Salvia.

- Colour for the soul: Red brings warmth and energy to the garden, while white offers a lovely contrast. Colour can influence how we experience a space, particularly during the darker months.

- A sensory experience: A member of the mint family, Lamiaceae, this Salvia has aromatic foliage that releases a distinctive fragrance when gently touched. A lovely reminder to engage more than just our eyes when enjoying nature.

- A little natural therapy: Research suggests that spending time in green spaces can support mental wellbeing. Even a few moments appreciating a flower can offer a welcome pause in a busy day.

- Still giving back: Flowering well into Autumn in favourable conditions, ‘Hot Lips’ can provide a valuable late-season nectar source for bees and other pollinators.

- A garden worth returning to: With a sunny position, free-draining soil and some Winter protection where needed, this beautiful Salvia can return year after year, rewarding us with another season of colour.

As we head towards Winter, perhaps it’s worth remembering that nature doesn’t have to be at its most spectacular to make us feel good.

Sometimes all it takes is one little flower, a splash of colour and a moment to stop and appreciate what’s growing around us.

Have you spotted any late-flowering beauties brightening your Autumn walks? Feel free to share them in our comments!

Photography Credit: Raw Photography of @ftsq_go_on
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#Floralishus
#floralishusfinds
#SalviaHotLips
#WandsworthCommon
#natureandwellbeing

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We haven’t done a #FungiFriday post in a while. This one is about the Shaggy Parasol, a true woodland showstopper!

Sometimes the most wonderful discoveries are hiding right beneath our feet!

Tucked amongst Common Ivy, beneath the trees and shrubbery on the Spencer Park side of @wwcommon we discovered these fabulous Shaggy Parasols (Chlorophyllum rhacodes). With their wonderfully textured caps and impressive stature, they’re certainly worth a closer look!

And there’s more to these woodland beauties than their shaggy appearance.

- A fashionable fungus! Its distinctive brownish scales develop as the cap expands, creating that shaggy, almost feathered appearance.

- A colourful reaction! Bruise or cut its white flesh and it can turn orange-red before gradually darkening, thanks to chemical reactions within the tissue.

- These fungi are saprotrophic, feeding on decomposing organic matter in nutrient-rich soils and woodland leaf litter.

- Young specimens have rounded, drumstick-shaped caps that gradually open into broad parasols, revealing crowded pale gills beneath.

- Once classified in the genus Lepiota, this species was later moved to Chlorophyllum as scientific understanding evolved.

⚠️ Foraging caution: Shaggy Parasols can cause illness and have poisonous lookalikes. Never eat wild fungi without expert identification.

There’s something lovely about finding these impressive fungi amongst the ivy. Another reminder of the fascinating life quietly thriving beneath our urban woodland canopy.

Have you spotted a Shaggy Parasol on your autumn walks?

Photographic Credit: Raw Photography of @ftsq_go_on
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#floralishusfungifriday
#Floralishus
#ShaggyParasol
#fungiphotography

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How do we approach our photography? Some walks are full of photographs before we’ve even lifted the camera.

A camera records what’s in front of us, a photograph begins with attention. We shift our angle, wait for the light, notice what has entered the frame and decide what to leave out.

We wanted to share with you what we look for when we go for a walk in nature with our camera. What catches the eye of our lead photographer @lenarobinsonkg

It’s
- Colour
- Angle
- Reflection
- Texture
- Architectural Form
- A moment in time
- The view

These are the things we take the time to notice.
The subjects, places and seasons may change, but the practice stays much the same, look carefully, then look again. Sometimes it’s the whole view that holds us. Sometimes it’s one simple detail at the edge of it all.

This collection of images gathers some of those pauses and the looking that happens on every walk and every visit. What do you think?

What do you find yourself noticing on your wanderings?

Photography Credit: Raw Photography of @ftsq_go_on
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#Floralishus
#floralishusdaysout
#NaturePhotography
#GardenPhotography
#plantphotography

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To the Barrecore Wandsworth community: we’re so sorry. Losing your studio, your teachers and your routine is hard.

We’re a small non-profit studio just up East Hill from Old York Road, by Wandsworth Common, and we’d love to welcome you. 🥰

Your first class with us is free, and you’ll get £30 off your first class package. Your Barrecore credits still count too: we’ll honour your remaining class credits here, up to 5 classes. Just email a screenshot of your credits to John at info@easthillfitness.com. 🌱

Missing barre? Our Barre Core class is on Thursdays at 19.10, at a proper ballet barre, with a Saturday morning class starting in November. We also have yoga, Pilates and Tai Chi & Qi Gong. Mats and equipment provided.

🫶

#Barrecore #BarrecoreWandsworth #OldYorkRoad #Wandsworth

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A little #FloralishusThrowbackThursday from the Frying Pan meadow on @wwcommon

Remember that wonderful patch of purple-flowered lucerne (Medicago sativa) where we discovered five different insects sharing one small space?

Well, here’s a closer look at one of its visitors!

A common carder bee (Bombus pascuorum), was busy collecting pollen among the flowers.

These lovely ginger-haired bumblebees are among Britain’s longer-season bumblebees, with workers sometimes still foraging well into October.

And here’s a little botanical connection, Lucerne belongs to the pea family, whose flowers can require a rather clever technique from visiting bees to release their pollen.

One small patch of meadow and still so much to discover. Enjoy!

Photography Credit: Raw Photography of @ftsq_go_on
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#Floralishus
#ThrowbackThursday
#WandsworthCommon
#CommonCarderBee

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Welcome to East Hill Fitness 🌱

We’re a non-profit community studio by Wandsworth Common. We began in 2021 as one small community class, and everything we do comes back to four pillars: movement, strength, restore and community.

Yoga, Pilates, Tai Chi & Qi Gong, Barre Core and 1:1 training with Alex, indoors at Huguenot Studio and outdoors on the Common.

Your first class is free, and you’ll get £30 off your first package.

Text John on 07767 474630 or email info@easthillfitness.com to let us know you’re coming.

Save this post for the timetable.

#EastHillFitness #WandsworthCommon #Wandsworth #SW18 #YogaLondon PilatesLondon TaiChi CommunityStudio

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BOOK NOW FOR OUR NEW AFTERNOON TEA!

Our new Autumn Winter Afternoon Tea menu is NOW AVAILABLE! We’ve handcrafted every tier in-house - from fresh savoury buns and warm scones to little cakes. And because trips to the common are usually a family affair, we now have Kids’ Afternoon Tea menus available, too.

• Only £29 per person
• Made fresh in-house by our @roots_berries chef team
• Kids menus now available (additional to Adults Afternoon Tea, from £9)

Every spread you enjoy helps support @wwcommon who keep our green spaces thriving.

(And if you’re already looking ahead, our new festive menu isn’t far off...)

Tag your friend below with whom you’d like to share our delicious Afternoon Tea 💬

Follow the link in our bio to make your booking now 👆

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