Either It'll Work or It Won't

 

Its lovely to have some good news to share, and this week, we found out our application for planning permission to rebuild the roofs at Betley Court have been granted. You’re probably surprised to learn people need permission to rebuild something back as it was. We certainly were. However, the application process has been a useful one. We’ve learned a huge amount about what is required to rebuild, and the infrastructure that needs to be in place (for example, providing facilities so that contractors can go to the loo, wash their hands and have somewhere clean to prepare and eat their meals). We’ve needed to think about how and where lorries can deliver building materials, so it’s giving us a better idea of how Betley Court will be as we rebuild.

Following the release of the tender documents (which specify what works we want done, and details materials and the building regulations that are to be used), Nigel showed the first of the potential building partners around the ruins today. They have gone away to put together a quote for us. Another small step towards the rebuild.

Tree surgeons and landscape managers of the future

In the gardens, there’s been a lot of tree work of various kinds this week. The students from Reaseheath College’s Forestry & Arboriculture department were back yesterday.

Tree climbing

Learning objectives included tree climbing with ropes, clearing congested planting to create dappled areas, and chainsaw maintenance.

Whilst the lad at the front sharpens the teeth on his chaninsaw, the student behind practices climbing a beech tree, using ropes

Down by Tanhouse Brook, the students made great progress, clearing overgrown rhododendron and holly. Part of their client brief was to clear enough understorey to reveal glimpses across the woodland from the path, to recreate the romantic Victorian-era secluded walk. They’ve succeeded in opening up the woodland to that you can catch sight of the Jubilee Bridge, a rather pretty bend in the stream, and views to the pond.

Glimpses of the bend in the stream, and pools of light created by thinning trees recreates a lovely romantic and secluded atmosphere

Once the trees and undergrowth are felled, the students have been making log and habitat piles. Down by the stream, they’ve been addressing the erosion problems by driving poles they’ve cut into the bank vertically. Thicker logs and brash (leafier tiggy cuttings) are piled behind horizontally. Alan, their lecturer, explained to me that this has a number of advantages. It makes lots of interesting nooks and crannies for wildlife to inhabit both in and out of the water. Most importantly, from our point of view, it will help when we do have those periods of horrendous rain, when water surges down from the 8 acres of Betley Hall’s lakes at the top of the village, through to our dingle. The water level can increase by more than a foot in a matter of hours, even washing over the dam on occasions!

The students carrying logs they've felled down to the stream

The materials the students have worked into the bank not only reduces scouring and erosion, but also helps to capture soil, silt and other organic matter as the waters recede. The beauty of their work is it employs waste material from the tree surgery, so nothing has to be bought, or indeed brought on site. It is intelligent land management and their work is a wonderful contribution to our ongoing commitment to the environment around Betley Court.

Kit bags and log piles

Whilst the Reaseheath students have been felling, Shane’s been helping me with the propagation of a very ancient tree in the garden, our Carolina silverbell tree (Halesia carolina). This tree is one of Betley Court Garden’s most popular trees, of great interest to visitors in the spring, and has even been discussed on BBC Radio 4’s Gardeners Question Time by Bunnie Guiness and Chris Beardshaw (lucky tree)! Silverbell trees were introduced to the UK from Carolina in 1756. We’ve no idea how old our specimen is – it would be lovely to think William Emes, who redesigned the gardens in 1785 might have brought it in. We do know that the tree is on its last legs. Earlier in the summer, I tried using cutting balls, to take air cuttings.

Fingers crossed we'll be able to propogate the Halesia carolina 

Shane’s prepared some hardwood cuttings, and also unearthed a large root that had sprouted. These have been potted up and placed in a sheltered spot. We’ve taken an ‘either this will work or it won’t’ approach to the cuttings, but I’ll let you know the outcome sometime in the future.

A more reliable way to acquire trees, is just to pop to a local garden centre. This is where Nigel and I found ourselves last Saturday when torrential downpours halted our efforts on the allotment and DIY in the garden. Between downpours we dashed around the outdoor plant section of Astbury GardenCentre.

The gorgeous leaves of Liquidambur styraciflua

Tucked in behind a trolley of plants was the most beautiful Liquidambur styraciflua (sweet gum tree).

Planting the Liquidambur by the rather sorry looking rhododendrons

This tree is at its best in autumn, with large, glossy, maple-like leaves that range in colour from lime greens, through yellow to flame red and deep crimson. Its no wonder it is such a popular specimen tree. Somehow this poor tree was unceremoniously stuffed into our car and transported to Betley Court for me to plant yesterday. Its new home is by a clump of defeated looking rhododendrons towards the centre of the lawn, that I’ve drastically cut back in the hope they’ll perk up! At least the Liquidambur will look good this autumn, even if the rhododendrons don’t!

All best wishes

Ladybird Su

A (hopefully lucky) horseshoe found 14" deep under the lawn where I planted the Liquidambur