New Gardening Blog

Are you a young, enthusiastic individual who has a strong interest in Garden Landscaping and is keen to strengthen their skills and learn skills along the way? If so, this vacancy might be for you.... We are SOS Gardening & Landscaping with 20 years experience in the Landscaping & Horticultural industry, we pride ourselves on working to a high standard,...

Meet Head Gardener Claire Reid and come along on a tour of Hestercombe. Taking about 1.5 hours, you will learn about the gardens, the history and how the team keep it looking fab. _Normal garden admission applies._

Avery Gardens of Taunton, Somerset, a leading name in professional gardening services, is adding to its team With over 15 years of experience in delivering top-notch commercial and domestic gardening solutions, we are excited to offer an opportunity for two new members to join our dynamic team.At Avery Gardens, you'll be part of a team that values...

The Role:Our client is currently seeking a reliable and skilled Grounds Maintenance Operative to join our team. As a grounds maintenance operative, you will be responsible for the general maintenance and upkeep of outdoor areas, including gardens, parks, and public spaces, ensuring they are kept clean, safe, and visually appealing.Responsibilities: Mowing...

Head Gardener Claire Greenslade explores the concept of re-using old bicycle inner tubes to help new trees grow, and reduce plastic in the garden:Hessian ribbon degraded too well and needed replacing every few monthsAt Hestercombe we're really keen to be as green and ecologically minded as possible, and are always looking for more ways to improve. So here's...

I am probably speaking far to soon and I'm sure that the snowy cold weather will soon find its way over to us but in the garden there are already signs of new growth and spring.Look at this fabulous witch hazel flowering away in the shrubbery.The Hellebores are just starting to show their pretty faces and the first of the snowdrops are poking their heads up...

On the 'blog' section of our website there are regular updates about what's growing on In the gardens Claire (Head Gardener) and Jo do reports on what's happening, with Claire's plant ID***and find out about the history of Hestercombe from Kim, our archivist, who quietly works away reading old manuscripts or discovering who's who in black and white photos....

Head Gardener, Claire Reid and her team have worked tirelessly to create the new summer bedding for the Victorian Terrace. Historically, the bedding has alway been changed twice a year so keeping true to this tradition, the formal Garden Team have a new sceme on the Victorian Terrace to enjoy for the summer.:Head Gardener, Claire Reid and her team have...

Looking after the new hives at Hestercombe We're welcoming bees into a new home at Hestercombe, with the delivery of six hives for these humble honey makers. Ian Stiby and Rosie Ellis, who are beekeeping partners at Three Bridges Apriary, have brought the new colony to the orchards of Hestercombe so we can produce our own special Hestercombe Honey. Each hive...

by Claire Greenslade, Hestercombe's Head Gardener_How do you manage a large garden with a furloughed team and locked down volunteers?Who knew that this would ever be a question I would have to ask myself. This virus is something that none of us had been able to prepare for.Since March 23rd 2020 Hestercombe has had to close its gates. Really big decisions had...

This Saturday is a momentus day for Hestercombe as the House is finally re-united and opened up to the public for the first time in over 100 years.Several spaces have been reclaimed and are being used as a Gallery. The first exhibition 'Leaping the Fence' contains important artworks from the last 25 years including pieces by Tracey Emin, Mark Wallinger and...

To my worldly blog followers, sorry for my absence over the last few weeks, it's been a busy time in the kitchens.A little belated I know but I wish Liz our old pastry chef good luck in her new venture. The weeks that passed after Liz left were busy ones but (would you believe I was making cakes?) but were made easier by the support of a great team in Bart...

National Tree Week is the perfect time for celebrating trees.Did you know that our sweet chestnut on Hestercombe's Orangery Lawn is over 500 years old?: The Oak tree in the East Orchard at HestercombeNaturally, we're tree mad here at Hestercombe, and as it's National Tree Week from 27th November 5th December, we want to shout about some of the trees we're...

Come and visit our new Gallery Shop in Hestercombe House, as well as our Gift Shop and Plant Centre on the Marquee Lawn:An overview of the new Gallery ShopGallery Shop:Visit Hestercombe's new Gallery Shop for beautiful local handmade gifts. With a mix of high quality pieces, local artists showcase their work - a diverse selection of materials including...

A stunning Somerset orangery wedding, Charlotte and Jonny's ceremony had a leafy look and a boho feel. Together they planned a wedding as wild as their romance, with a vibrant vegan twist.Photography by Simon Biffen PhotographyPopping the question:Wedding planning begins with one very important question, and Jonny chose to propose surrounded by Majorca's...

We were delighted to learn last month that the Somerset Gardens Trust has generously donated £1,000 towards the cost of restoring and conserving the rotunda in Hestercombe's fantastic formal garden. Designed by Sir Edward Lutyens and built between 1904 and 1908 after he and Gertrude Jekyll were commissioned to create the formal garden at Hestercombe, the...

A guest blog from Artist Peter Stiles, whose work is showing as part of Changing Atmospheres:Artwork: Peter StilesArtwork: Peter Stiles_The premise behind the exhibition "Changing Atmospheres" at Hestercombe Gardens in Somerset is that living through the pandemic has given many people, including artists, new opportunities to connect with Nature. Furlough,...

Photo by _Rui Dias_ from Pexels_Here at Hestercombe we were beginning (pre-lockdown) to establish a number of activities aimed at improving health and wellbeing of our visitors, such as yoga, mindfulness and of course our annual Woodland Wander. Just by coming to visit Hestercombe and enjoying a walk around our 50 acres of gardens you'll almost certainly...

you are doing a cracking job Just keep asking us all questions and learn as much as you can and keep baking**:I think that it is about time we introduced two of our valuable team members.... the students.Jessica Redhead (on the left) and Hannah Philips (on the right)Both started here in September 2012 and will be with us until the end of August 2013. They...

Head Gardener, Claire Greenslade, shares tips on how we're saving water at Hestercombe:As you can imagine in the high temperatures we've experienced recently the gardens are beginning to suffer from heat exhaustion - just like the rest of usAt Hestercombe we are very conscious of our water consumption and use. We recognise that water is such a valuable...