Japanese Garden Gets New "Torii" Gateway

New Gateway for Japanese Garden at Hammersmith Park

The Japanese Garden at Hammersmith Park has been given a new gateway, or "Torii", thanks to a generous donation by former Chair of the Friends of The Japanese Garden at Hammersmith Park, John Gordon-Smith. 

The Japanese Garden at Hammersmith Park dates from 1910, and is the chief legacy of the Japanese-British Exhibition that took place in White City.

Japanese Garden Community Day 6 August 2023

The Japanese Garden at Hammersmith Park is hosting its annual Community Day on Sunday 6th August from 12.30pm to 5.30pm.  

The Japanese Garden Community Day will feature Japanese-themed activities for families and children.  Last year's events included origami lessons, a treasure trail, a Japanese calligraphy workshop, Japanese music, a "haiku walk", and Japanese sweets and snacks.

The Community Day is a family-friendly annual event, held to celebrate improvements to the garden such as the 2018 installation of new Japanese-style gates and rows of traditional stone lanterns.

The Japanese Garden at Hammersmith Park dates from 1910, and is the chief legacy of the Japanese-British Exhibition that took place in White City.

Don't forget to bring a picnic.

Japanese Garden Community Day 7th August

The Japanese Garden in Hammersmith Park is hosting a Community Day on Sunday 7th August at 12.30pm.  

The Community Day will feature lots of activities for families and children, including the chance to make origami, follow a treasure trail, do a calligraphy workshop, listen to Japanese music, go on a "haiku walk", and buy Japanese sweets and snacks.

The event is an annual one, held to celebrate recent improvements to the garden such as the installation of new Japanese-style gates and rows of stone lanterns in the Japanese Garden.

The Japanese Garden dates from 1910, and the Japanese-British Exhibition that took place in White City.

Don't forget to bring a picnic.

Friends of The Japanese Garden - June Newsletter

Clearing the pond on Sunday

The Friends of the Japanese Garden continued their hard work last Sunday, cleaning up the duckweed from the pond at the Japanese Garden.

It's a reminder of how many unpaid volunteers give up their time to help preserve the beauty of our neighbourhood parks, quietly getting on with their work with little fanfare. 

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.  

Japanese Garden Gets Annual Clean-Up

Japanese Garden Annual Clean-Up

On October 10th the Japanese Garden got its annual clean-up, organised by the Friends of the Japanese Garden, led by John Gordon-Smith, assisted by the Nippon Club.

More than 60 volunteers turned up to help clean the pond, trim back the shrubs, and generally tidy up. 

Here at the Shepherd's Bush Blog we warmly thank the volunteers who regularly give up their time to maintain and preserve the Japanese Garden at Hammersmith Park.

Hammersmith Park Japanese Garden September Newsletter

Hammersmith Park

The Japanese Garden in Hammersmith is one of the many pleasures of our neighbourhood. 

The Garden gets a regular cleanup by local volunteers; Japanese Garden Chair John Gordon-Smith also writes a monthly newsletter about the Garden. To see the latest news, see John's newsletter below. 

Skimmer Vandalised in Hammersmith Park

Vandalised Skimmer

Sometimes you have to feel a bit sorry for our local council, and for everyone who works hard to improve our parks.

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.  After years of waiting, we finally got the skimmer, which was then almost immediately vandalised.

It isn't clear why anyone would want to smash up the skimmer. But someone, for whatever reason, decided it would be a good plan.

John Gordon-Smith Leads Hammersmith Park Cleanup

John Gordon-Smith leads the cleanup on Sunday

John Gordon-Smith is one of the unsung heroes of our neighbourhood, a local volunteer who regularly gives up his time to maintain and preserve the Japanese Garden at Hammersmith Park.

The Japanese Garden is one of our most distinctive local landmarks and a legacy of the Japan-British Exhibition of 1908, part of the original Great White City exhibition.

Yesterday John and his fellow volunteers were once again cleaning out the pond in the Japanese Garden, giving up their Sunday to clear the water of pondweed and algae. 

John was assisted by Mick, the park gardener and a number of other local volunteers including Richard, a gardener from Kew Gardens, who all worked hard to help restore the garden.  Many thanks to all of them for their hard work and dedication.

Japanese Garden Cleanup in Hammersmith Park

Volunteers at work on Sunday

On Sunday October 11 the Japanese Garden at Hammersmith Park enjoyed a much-needed cleanup operation, as local volunteers got to work.

The team was led by Japanese Garden Chair John Gordon-Smith, Mick, the park gardener and five local volunteers including Richard, a gardener from Kew Gardens, who all worked hard to help restore the garden.  Many thanks to all of them for their hard work and dedication.

Japanese Garden Community Picnic on Saturday 11th May

Hammersmith Park is celebrating its recently expanded Japanese Garden with a Japanese Garden Community Picnic on Saturday 11th May, from Noon until 5pm.

The Japanese Picnic will feature lots of activities for families and children, including the chance to make origami, follow a treasure trail, do a calligraphy workshop, listen to Japanese music, or buy Japanese snacks.

The event is being held to celebrate recent improvement works: the installation of new Japanese-style gates and rows of stone lanterns in the Japanese Garden.

You can see more about it at the Japanese Embassy official site. Don't forget to bring your picnic!

Japanese Garden Party Sun 29 July Postponed

Hammersmith Park

Hammersmith Park was to play host to a Japanese Garden Party on Sunday 29th July, from 12.30pm onwards, but the event has had to be postponed due to bad weather forecast. 

Visitors were to have the chance to make origami, do a calligraphy workshop, listen to Japanese music, or try some noodle soup.

The event - which will be re-scheduled - is being held to celebrate recent improvement works: the installation of new Japanese-style gates and rows of stone lanterns in the Japanese Garden. The party was to take place on Sunday 29 July, from 12.30pm.

Expansion of the Japanese Garden at Hammersmith Park

Japanese Gate and Lanterns

The Japanese Garden at Hammersmith Park is to be expanded, if plans put forward by The London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham, in association with the Friends of the Japanese Garden, go ahead.

Twenty Japanese stone lanterns and an ornamental gate will be installed, in the course of a project which is supported by a number of Japanese businesses and by the Japanese Embassy.  

LBHF are consulting with the community, canvassing local views, so make sure to have your say.