Annual Bedding Plants

**Have you ever been scared to start a project in the garden because of the enormity of it? It happens to all of us, especially when deciding on the size of the flower beds.**: - By _Claire Greenslade_, Head Gardener_ "Have you ever been scared to start a project in the garden because of the enormity of it? It happens to all of us, especially when deciding...

this week we had 7270 annuals and bedding plants delivered and we have been desperately trying to get them in the ground before the weekend.... hence the lack of garden blogs.... we will be back blogging next week...!

Regular visitors to Hestercombe may have noticed some hazel structures popping up around the Formal Garden. These are actually our way of staking some of the herbaceous plants that are likely to flop over if not supported. Hazel staking offers an attractive alternative to metal link stakes, plus it is also a lot of fun to do! The hazel (_Corylus avellana_)...

**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 us! At Hestercombe we are very conscious of our water consumption and use. We recognise that water is such a...

**Head Gardener, Claire Greenslade, on how we can adjust our garden planting to better suit long, dry spells**: The recent heatwave and ongoing extreme weather is very hard for our garden plants to respond to. Most plants like consistency and are adapted to specific climates, temperatures, topography, soil types and weather types. They respond to circadian...

I have mixed emotions about September. I love the light. I love the warm weather. But I cant shake off that feeling of impending doom as the nights draw in and the temperature drops - I have absolutely no love for winter! It is just too cold, and I can't even get excited about the prospect of snow. I've tried to enjoy sledging but frankly it's cold and wet...

Position Overview At Balfour Beatty Kilpatrick, we believe that exceptional infrastructure is just the beginning. Join our team as a Plant and Tools Coordinator and play a crucial role in our operations. About the Project Hinkley Point C represents a landmark development in the UK’s nuclear power sector, set to deliver sustainable energy to...

About the Position At Balfour Beatty Kilpatrick, we believe that remarkable infrastructure is just the beginning. Join our team as a Plant and Equipment Coordinator and contribute to significant projects that shape the future. Overview of Hinkley Point C Hinkley Point C represents a groundbreaking advancement in the UK's nuclear power sector,...

**Over the last couple of weeks the weather has been wet and wild! The gardens and car park especially have suffered from flooding and water damage meaning that all the gardeners have been busy cleaning up! In the Formal Gardens we have been lifting the cannas from the Great Plat. We have two types, the Canna musifolia are the tall ones on the outside beds...

**Winter Gardening Ideas: How To Look After Your Garden**: As the chilly nights draw-in make sure you follow these top tips on how to look after your garden over the winter with winter gardening ideas from Head Gardener **Claire Greenslade**. Cannas looking totally tropical on the Great Plat this summer **1. Lift tender plants**: Many tender species need...

This is a Bellis perennis which forms part of the spring bedding scheme on the Victorian terrace. BUT... it has this strange mutation known as FASCIATION. When plants have fasciation the stems and flowerheads appear flattened and elongated. This can be caused by genetic mutation, viral infection or as a reaction to damage from frost, animals or...

**With autumn in full swing now we are certainly finding plenty to do in the gardens! Apart from the seemingly never ending task of leaf blowing and raking we have been chopping back all the Mexican daisies that grow in the walls. This reveals the beautiful stone work underneath and shows off the intricate structure of the Formal Garden. We also have some...

It is HOT, HOT, HOT. The gardens team are wilting as quickly as the plants and my gentle coaxing and reminders about the how awful it was working in the rain last year are not helping! But we wouldn't be true Brits if we weren't moaning about the weather. All weather and climates come with their own set of problems, but, come on, this is a proper summer!! A...

We now have a fantastic opportunity to recruit **Grounds Operative ** **in the Somerset Area** **Shift Available**: - Monday to Friday - 730-1600 **Hourly pay rate - **£11.98 **You will need**: - Full UK Driving Licence - Level 2 certificate of competency in the safe use of lawnmowers - NVQ level 2 in horticulture ( Desirable ) - Be prepared to work...

There’s little better than a butterfly fluttering past, a bee buzzing by or a dragonfly darting through when you’re pottering in the garden. You can make those chance encounters more likely by embracing wildlife gardening. Luckily, finding the balance between a wildlife garden and beautiful planting is easier than you might think. Here, we suggest five...

**What a summer! I have never known such a prolonged drought in my 15 years of working at Hestercombe. I’m surprised, and pleased, that not only have the plants survived, but the team has too.**: **Very early on we took the decision not to water the lawns. Water is such a valuable commodity and as a public garden it’s important that we show a different...

My apologies for the lack of blog posts lately, but the more observant among you may notice that I am now publishing under a different name! My time and focus over this last summer has been taken up with organising my wedding, but now I am free to concentrate on writing blogs again! Last week we began the autumn chop back, which is a job I love because you...

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...

A bunch of homegrown flowers is hard to beat **In the run up to our new event: Spring bouquet workshop (24 April), local grower and florist, JW Blooms, gives some top tips on growing your own...** With spring in the air, now is the perfect time to think about growing some flowers for the house. It doesn’t matter if you have enough space for a dedicated...

hi all this is just a quick plea.... as you know we are trying to run a new glasshouse at Hestercombe and things are really coming on well. We have been able to sow lots of annuals for the garden as well as to propagate stock plants such as Rosemary and lavender, and we also have a 'plants from the garden' section in plant sales. As a charity we are trying...