Walled Garden Volunteers' Blog December 2024
/Christmas is Coming! And so we wheeled our two trees, carefully stored behind the Volunteer Shed all year, back into the limelight.
We’ve kept these trees going for a few years now. This time, they are part of the welcome in the Courtyard, alongside the Museum’s ‘wishing tree’ by artist Corrine Hockley.
Out in the Courtyard, all is calm (and tidy!). We’ve weeded and swept up leaves, the spring bulbs are planted, and we can relax for a while.
The white border in the Walled Garden is winter-ready, too, with pretty flowers of Prunus Autumnalis showing now, hellebores forming flowers, and a few tiny tips of snowdrop shoots just starting to appear.
Out at the raised beds and pergola, Sarah and Helen harvested autumn crops. The fennel has done amazingly well! And in the background, across the wildflower meadow in Helen’s photo, you can just spot Geoff gathering the last of the cuttings, while the bees are asleep in the hive away from the day’s cold wind and drizzle.
The Hedge Bedstraw which we found rampant in the meadow, has been put to use by dye-gardener Ruth: she has extracted a soft orange/apricot from the roots.
It’s not all been plain sailing in the Garden though: A few of the cardoons collapsed in the recent storm; here’s Marion collecting up the debris - and Sue and Penny busy amongst the chaotic-looking purple border after a battering by wind and rain.
The Museum and Walled Garden will be closed for Christmas and through January, but behind the scenes, work will continue.
We still have plenty to do in the borders as we prepare for our Snowdrop Event on January 25th and 26th, to celebrate the Giant Snowdrop Company of Hyde, Stroud. Helen and Ross of Old Court Nursery and the Picton Garden will be with us that weekend, with a choice of snowdrops to admire and to buy.
Snowdrops by ruth illingworth
The Gardeners wish you all a Very Happy Christmas!
