Happy St David's Day

Belated Happy St David’s Day from everyone at Betley Court! Daffodils, the national flower of Wales, are just beginning to show around the gardens, with Tete-a-tetes, the small early variety putting on the earliest show. I’m really enjoying the lengthening of the days as spring approaches. Such a lot to do, and longer days really help!

There’s a chance to come and see our daffodils in person later this month, as we hold the first of our open weekends for the year. On the 25^th and 26^th March we will be holding another session of restoration tours. As the scaffolding has almost (at the time of print) come down, there will be a change to walk around the exterior of Betley Court with me and Nigel to talk about how the rebuild has been approached. We’ll also invite visitors to don hi-viz jackets and hard hat to view the current state of the interior of the house. Afterwards, complimentary drinks will be served in the visitors’ hub, and there will be time to walk around the gardens until gates close at 5pm.

First floor room (photo: Washington and Peart, Centre Space Arts)

Pre-booking is essential, and due to the ongoing building work, we ask everyone wears stout shoes. Tickets can be bought online through our website at:

www.betleycourtgardens.co.uk

Places are limited, and last year most of our slots sold out. Hope to see you there!

I like this time of year in the gardens; lots of plants bursting back into life after the winter. Down by the visitors’ hub, a lovely chartreuse hellebore is clinging on, despite being unearthed by an energetic mole several times.

Hellebore

Up on the formal lawn, Tanya, our garden volunteer and I have been weeding and feeding some of the ornamental trees. We've been ably assisted by Mabel, the dog, seen below guarding a spade. We’re pleased to see the two purple-leaved cherries Prunus cerasifera have come into bud. These two trees were gifted to Betley Court in 2021 as a gift of friendship, and marking the foundation of Betley WI in the house in 1938. I confessed to Tanya that I feel an extra sense of responsibility to these two trees in particular, namely due to the spirit of bonhomie they were gifted with, and I enjoy a huge sigh of relief when they make it through another winter.

As the scaffolding comes down around the house Shane and Melvyn have begun the difficult task of restoring the lawn around the house. Much of it died back under the weigh and shade of the scaffolding. Quite an area is still peppered with debris from the fire, and when the demolition stage happened; fragments of slate tile, broken bricks, glass etc. Added to this are scaffolding clamps that have been mislaid during both the erection and dismantling of the scaffolding. Shane, understandably, is quite protective of the sit-on mower, knowing that if it hits one of these partially buried dangers, it’ll put it out of action for weeks. So, a careful raking operation has begun, recovering rubble to fill yet another skip.

Gardening in a cage - some crosuses with HERAS fencing behind (photo: Su Hurrell/Ladybird Su

 At last, the HERAS fencing is coming down around the formal beds. Initially, this was erected after the fire to keep people out of the house after the fire. Then it was reconfigured to stop contractors trampling the formal beds, or wearing informal ‘line of desire’ pathways in the lawn (and through my flowers!). Tanya and I have been gardening in a cage of these worksite panels, and it felt quite protective whilst the contractors were onsite. I’ll be glad to see the back of them though - it could sometimes feel like a prison garden. The HERAS fencing going is a sign of things getting back to normal.

Finally, congratulations to Charis Jones, the artist blacksmith who created our wonderful garden gates, who has been nominated for Staffordshire Artist of the Year 2023 (link). We really chuffed for her, especially as she is looking at creating a commemorative gate marking the rebuild of Betley Court after the fire for us. Finger crossed!

All best wishes

Ladybird Su