The last couple of weeks have been busy for the garden team, so here’s a round up of what we’ve been up to.
We begun the process of renovating one of the big beds in the Water Garden. High rainfall last winter waterlogged this part of the garden as the drain to the ponds was blocked. As a result, some of the trees and shrubs in the bed have died and big patches of perennials have struggled to grow.
Ben and Ned from the estates team fixed the drainage and the bed has now dried up enough for us to dig it. We have been removing both dead woody and perennial plants, and masses of wild strawberry which have started to cover the patches where plants had died. The majority of digging was done by hand, but luckily Ben was able to access the beds with his tractor to help remove the biggest stumps.
Once we have worked through the border we will be planting it up again with new trees, shrubs and herbaceous perennials. It's an exciting task to think about what might work in these changed soil conditions and still stay true to Beth's style. Watch this space over the next couple of months to see how we progress.
Planting on the Albert roundabout
It was a whole Beth Chatto team effort to help plant up the Albert roundabout in Colchester last week. The planting was carried out over two nights and one day. It was amazing to see it completed with all the plants in the sand, we can’t wait to see how they settle in and establish.
Find out more: Albert roundabout
De Hessenhof nursery visit
Head Gardener Åsa spent a week at De Hessenhof nursery known for its outstanding range of perennials, all grown organically.
'Working on the nursery, having time to explore its impressive stock beds and learning from the team was a real treat. Miranda, Hans and their wonderful team were so incredibly warm and welcoming, also giving me the opportunity to meet and connect with fellow plants people, many of whom were former students.' Åsa Gregers-Warg
Saturday's event, where Åsa gave a talk alongside Piet Oudolf and Fergus Garrett finished off an inspirational week.
Sissinghurst visit
This week it was Malin’s turn to spend a week on a work placement in Sissinghurst in Kent. It was an opportunity to be fully immersed in the garden for a week and learn how things are done there, tasks included potting, lawn care, cutting hedges amongst other things!
Hannah's trip to Kew
Our apprentice Hannah had the opportunity on Tuesday to attend a day at Kew organised by the Royal Parks Guild.
'I really enjoyed connecting with people on similar courses, participating in breakout sessions discussing industry challenges, and tours of Kew Gardens, as well as all the interesting talks.' Apprentice Hannah
We are looking forward to being back together next week all in one place preparing for our upcoming intern weekend.
Best regards
Carole mead