The ‘dynamic duo’ of Peter and I continued with strimming the avenues and connecting paths in the outer gardens at Blickling this week.
I arrived to find the gardeners and Peter gathered around a large, new trailer which had just been delivered. I later looked this over and had an interesting discussion about its features and how useful an addition it was going to be to the gardeners’ armoury….
Hmm…big, shiny….
The ladies, meanwhile were finishing off cutting back and clearing the double borders, which only a few weeks ago had been resplendent in their late summer colours.
Cutting back the double borders on a beautiful autumn day
Having adjusted the belt on the strimmer I found I was really getting into my stride (or should I say ‘swing’?) with this useful machine- it was rather like old-time scything but without the muscle power needed for that. However, it was sweaty work clearing around trees and the edges of shrubs where the mowers can’t reach.
under control for now, rhododendrons and other under stoey shrubs soon encroach on the tree-lined avenues…
a holly that will need stooling soon…
…some trunks are definitely ‘on the huh’ as a result of delayed control of the under storey.
After lunch I had an interesting chat with gardener Ed and Peter about the way the avenues of Beech, Oak and other trees have to be regularly cleared of fast-growing understorey trees and shrubs such as holly, yew and rhododendrons. The impact of letting these plants over grow the trees was evident in the bent over trunks of some examples (or ‘on the huh’ as we say in Norfolk!).
The maintenance plan involves every year or so stooling (or coppicing) these vigourous plants and so maintaining space around the avenue trees. As Ed pointed out, there are some clear examples of where action is going to be required in the near future, so perhaps Peter and I will be moved on to chain saws soon!
Blickling has a new website, why not take a look at the link below?
A virtually deserted garden at a sun-scanned Blickling..
Further Information:
Old School Gardener
This week’s gardening session focused on the avenues in the wilderness garden at Blickling. Gardener Ed led the volunteers to continue felling, gathering, shredding and stacking wood from the trees and overgrown shrubs alongside one of the routes radiating away from the House.
Ed set to work with an impressive chainsaw attachment on an extended pole which made cutting off offending boughs look pretty easy. He later used a more conventional chainsaw to reduce some overgrown hollies to stools, form which bushes will re-sprout.
Old School Garden 