December 2011

Strawberry plants in the cold frame.

We continue with propagation in the garden. Jean has spent November and early December sorting and propagating our strawberries 'Florence', for our plant sales next year. They are of course potted up using peat free compost and recycled, cleaned plastic pots.
We have been more industious about collecting seeds and cuttings from plants in the garden this year. Jean has done a wonderful job helping dry and store seeds and pot up cuttings.
I feel particularly inspired to continue to develop propagation activities at Chastleton after my very helpful and educational week's visit to Ventnor Botanic Garden on The Isle of Wight in October. We have to be creative with our use of space for propagation at Chastleton at the moment - due to limited glass house and cold frame space. However, there are plans to expand the green house and add more cold frames in the West Garden in The Conservation Garden Management Plan, in the coming years.
Having had electrics installed to the green house on my arrival at Chastleton, one of my handymen volunteers helped me install a heated bench in the existing green house - which has been great. We also revamped and cleared and cleaned the green house - installing an automatic vent, a heater, insulation and shade netting. We try to make the best use of the green house space and cold frames all year round. We do hopefully plan to put back a 'hot bed' in The West Garden at some point - which will be exciting.
We have been busy recruiting volunteers to work on propagation and produce/plant sales at Chastleton at present. I am running propagation workshops for the propagation volunteers over Jan and Feb 2012. We launch our expanded stall of plant sales and Chastleton Garden Produce in The Stables in 2012.

Cornus hard wood cuttings.

We have taken hard wood cuttings of the Cornus plant removed from The Best Garden a couple of weeks ago and hope to relocate one or two of the new plants from the cuttings in The Wilderness and Nuttery in a year or two and make the remaining plants available to purchase by visitors to the garden.

Nicola and Julie in The Stables.

Nicola (Chastleton Property Operations Manager) and Julie (volunteer Garden Volunteer Co-ordinator) and I met this week to discuss and plan the Garden Exhibition that is to be put up in The Stables. The exhibition is to reflect and document the history of the estate and garden. It will also keep visitors up to date with present day restoration and conservation activities and plans on the estate and in the garden. Julie will lead our team of volunteer garden tour guides in helping put together the exhibition, with the aim of it being ready for open season in March 2012. This is a very exciting project and will hopefully aid understanding and enjoyment of the estate and garden for those who visit the property.