Living in London

Our daily jaunt through Kensington Gardens takes us through a beautifully manicured area called "The Flower Walk." The plants are breathtaking and the path is shared with numerous squirrels and pigeons. Tourists and locals alike often bring peanuts and bread crumbs to feed the little critters.

It seems that this unnatural food source has resulted in a swelling of the critter and fowl population . . . and these animals have taken to scavenging through the finely manicured flower beds when the humans fail to bring enough food.

The Parks Department would like visitors to stop feeding the animals. Instead of posting a sign saying "Do Not Feed the Animals," they have written a short essay that they have posted on the gates at each end of the walk. The text of the message is shown below.

Bedding Displays

Our annual bedding displays are enjoyed by visitors from all around the world. It's hard work, and the plants -- in the volumes we need -- are expensive. But we think it's all worth it. The wonderful sight of pansies and tulips nodding in the breeze lets you know that spring has finally arrived.

But the beds are under threat from an unexpected quarter! When the last morsel of bread has been thrown, pigeons and squirrels turn to our flower beds to find more food.

Normally, this is not a problem. We can manage some loss and damage. However, in this area, feeding has encouraged unnaturally large populations of both squirrels and pigeons, which are causing extensive damage to the beds.

Over the next few weeks we will experiment with netting the beds in an effort to prevent damage. We want to make sure there's a great display of spring colour in the Gardens. You can help too by not feeding the squirrels and pigeons.

May I offer a simpler, perhaps more effective, suggestion for a sign: