As we start the year, this blog shares a few important updates and reminders from the Board with residents, as our next full Newsletter will not be sent out until the beginning of April.
We hope you had a lovely break and are looking forward to the year ahead. We’re excited for another year of enjoying our shared garden together and hope you've already spotted some of the new plans such as the mini orchard.
As was communicated to all freeholders, the garden gate has not been functioning for the past few days. Contractors have been on site for the past days attempting to fix it. We hope for an update tomorrow morning and will communicate as soon as we do.
We’re happy to confirm that our Bonfire Night celebration will be happening on 7th November, and we’re already looking forward to it.
Sadly, our traditional Summer Party cannot yet be confirmed, as we still don’t have any volunteers to help organise the event, which puts it at risk of being cancelled. We’ve asked in the past and haven’t had any responses so far, so we’re once again putting the call out. If you’d like the Summer Party to go ahead this year and could spare some time to help, please do get in touch via the Contact Us section of our website.
We’d also like to gently remind everyone of our managing agency’s nuisance policy, which has been in place since they took over management of the garden. This helps ensure our space remains enjoyable for all.
From this year onwards, the Board will be operating with a new rotating Chair, whereby the role is held by a different Director every year. This year, Marc Scrimshire will be taking on the role, following Peter Cross stepping down a few months ago. We’d like to thank Peter for all the time and work he put into the role of Chair for so many years - fortunately Peter has offered to stay on the garden committee.
As always, thank you for being part of our garden community, and we look forward to another great year together!
Our gardeners have some exciting new plans in store for the garden this Spring including a "mini orchard" which will include a mix of apple and pear trees for residents to enjoy. A few of our trees have suffered recently and we are overserved by "crab apples" some of which are struggling, so the plan is to introduce a few "real" fruit trees in a bed halfway down the Warrington side. Our gardeners will try to move the crab apples to another sparser bed on the Sutherland side to see if they fare better. The new area will be underplanted with a mix of bulbs including alliums, daffodils and tulips and, all being well, we should all be able to enjoy some wonderful extra colour this Spring s well as a good crop of fruit next Autumn! The health of all our trees is currently being reviewed as part of the 10 year masterplan review including a few which have been infected by bugs so we are waiting for the outcome of of these reports from both our own and Westminster experts.
- Viv Robins
- Dec 29, 2025
Residents will remember that in response to a request from dog-owners back in the Autumn the Formosa Board agreed to extend the cut-off time for dogs to be exercised off the lead from 10 am to 10.30 am to take account of the darker mornings.
Unfortunately while most pet-owners have observed this new rule most scrupulously it seems three or four have been disregarding it to the extent that on occasion their dogs are to be seen roaming loose as late as 11 am.
This is unfair to all who wish to access the Garden mid-morning, possibly with young children who may be nervous around dogs, as well as to cat-owners who are obliged to keep their own pets indoors until the coast is clear.
The new rule was introduced strictly on the understanding that any breach would lead to its suspension. It is currently due to stay in force until the end of February but the Board will be meeting in the middle of next month when they will discuss taking further action if the matter is not resolved by then.
Please don't let the few spoil it for the many!
