New Pond Skimmer for Japanese Garden

Pond Skimmer in Japanese Garden

Congratulations to our local council, the LBHF Parks Dept, and the Friends of the Japanese Garden for (at last) successfully installing a pond skimmer in the Japanese Garden at Hammersmith Park. 

The pond skimmer removes floating debris off the surface of the pond - especially the duckweed which, if left unchecked, completely coats the surface of the pond. 

For many years, John Gordon-Smith and other volunteers at the Friends of the Japanese Garden in Hammersmith Park have been lobbying our Council to install a skimmer to clean up the duck weed in the Japanese Garden.  

The Problem of Duckweed

Volunteers at work in Hammersmith Park

Hammersmith Park has been waiting for some years for a solution to the problem of duckweed and algae bloom.

Without the skimmer, the pond gets quickly covered in duckweed, which has to be manually removed by volunteers about once a month. 

It's backbreaking, nasty work, hence the need for the skimmer, which has finally been successfully installed.

Thanks to the Volunteers

Many, many thanks to all the volunteers who continue to work unpaid to clean up The Japanese Garden and maintain it as a place of beauty and tranquility.  Next time you are strolling through our local park, spare a thought for all the hard work that goes into keeping it well maintained and pristine. 

The Shepherd's Bush Blog offers a personal view on life in Shepherd's Bush. If you would like to contribute a story about our neighbourhood, email us at shepherdsbushblog(at)gmail.com.