Vandals have trashed Peckham Rye Park’s American Garden and scrawled rude graffiti on rat bait boxes.
Nancy Coleman-Frank, 81, who has spent four years reviving the stunning plot with £75,000 funding, said the destruction had made her “sick”.
Several rat bait boxes appear to have been defaced, including at least one which has been daubed with the words ‘RAT KILLER F*CK OFF!’.
Predicting it will take three years to regrow the garden, Nancy said: “I am sick about what’s happened in the American Garden.
“Our charity, The American Garden in Peckham, has worked very hard to raise funds for all the plants and the planting of them in the Garden.
“Then to have someone come in and deliberately cut down all our deciduous shrubs and roses almost to the ground is just unthinkable.”
Nancy believes the plants were worth between £10,000 and £15,000 but even more concerning is whether the garden will flourish come summer.
She said: “Will they survive? I don’t know, only time will tell…. and even if some of them do, it will take another three years for them to gain the growth they had.”
The News understands parks officers are aware of the incident but the council did not respond to a request for comment.
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The American Garden, first planted in 1907, is a historic example of a craze which swept through Britain from the 18th century.
London botanist Peter Collinson pioneered the import of plants and seeds from North America, meaning American plants like rhododendron, azalea, magnolia, and kalmia sprang up across the capital.
While researching Collinson, Nancy visited the American Garden but was dismayed by its dilapidated condition so established a charity to revive it.
Hoping to make it a centre for environmental education in Peckham, she obtained grants from organisations including the American Embassy and the Local Postcode Trust.
The American Embassy grant even came with a visit from US Ambassador Robert Wood Johnson who, alongside MP Harriet Harman, planted a celebratory maple tree.
Nancy finally unveiled the garden in the summer of 2022 – more than 100 years after it was first planted.
Councillor Catherine Rose, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, Leisure and Parks, said: “We are aware of the acts of vandalism at Peckham Rye Park and have scheduled for the graffiti to be cleared as soon as possible. We ask parkgoers to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the police.”
Hi, the article incorrectly alludes to
“meaning American plants like rhododendron, azalea, magnolia, and kalmia”.
This gives a false impression. Most plants of this kind originate in Asia and the Far East, China and in particular the Himalayas.
Cheers David