Greetings for 2024!
Greetings
from Betley Court. Hope the start of 2024 finds you safe and well?
This is the
first of twelve planned blog posts for Betley Court Gardens, where we will
share what’s coming up for the months ahead. We’ve planned this year’s six
weekend events for the year, and hope to see some of you at Betley Court!
Public Events for 2024
Date |
Event |
Details |
24th & 25th February |
House Tour of Betley Court |
A tour of Betley
Court following the fire of 2019 and subsequent rebuild including access to
the attic restoration |
23rd & 24th March |
Daffodil Walks |
A chance to view
our collection of Victorian daffodil species and enjoy the gardens |
27th & 28th April |
Bluebell Walks |
A chance to walk
around one of Staffordshire’s finest bluebell woods |
1st & 2nd June |
Picnic on the lawn |
Join us for the
old tradition of picnicking on the lawn |
6th & 7th July |
Open Gardens |
Opening of the
gardens for walks |
24th & 25th August |
5th Anniversary opening |
To mark 5 years
since the fire in 2019, tours and exhibition of the rebuild |
A first floor room in current state of restoration (Photo: Su Hurrell) |
TICKETS: www.betleycourtgarden.co.uk/events
Barron’s Yew Screen
It’s a year
since we began the restoration of our yew screen, a topiary feature created by
the notable Victorian landscape gardener, William Barron in 1865. The first
stage of the restoration was topping all the yew trees that make up the yew
semi-circle, and reducing them by half in height. We undertook this after
seeking advice from the arboriculture experts at the Botanical Gardens at Kew,
and the Head Gardeners at Elvaston Castle (where a collection of topiary
specimens planted by Barron are still maintained).Barron's yew screen a few days ago. Note how the yew is growing back from the trunk, and how taking the tops of each tree down has let light flood the base of the screen. (photo: Su Hurrell)
Whilst the
rest of the country might have felt grumpy about last summer’s rainy weather it
was a blessing to us, as it ensured the yew trees suffered as little stress as
possible and remained well-watered during the hottest part of the summer. They
are, after all 159 years old!Whiskery growth sprouting from the trunks. Over the coming years, this will be clipped to gives us a neat topiary headge screen.
Restoring
topiary on this scale takes patience. After the first cut was made to reduce
the height, we were advised to wait a year before making any more cuts. This is
the best way to prevent the yews going into shock and dying. The good news is
that the hedge is making a good recovery, and whiskery growth is sprouting from
the trunks of the yews. Next, we will cut back one side of the screen’s curve;
either the convex or the concave side of the screen. Then we will have to be
patient again and allow the yews to recover over another calendar year.
If you
visit the gardens this year, you can see how the screen is coming along. It is at
the end of the raised terrace, on the southern elevation of the house to the right-hand
side. You can also read a little about the background of this restoration HERE. In the meantime, we just need to keep our patience so we can bring this horticultural curiosity back to how it looked when Barron planted it.
All best
wishes
Ladybird Su
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