How to Manage a Large Garden During a Lockdown

5 months ago

Taunton, United Kingdom Hestercombe Gardens Full time

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 to be made, really quickly, and it was decided that nearly all of the staff at Hestercombe would be furloughed. The few remaining were the Chief Executive and General Manager (on reduced wages), the Finance Manager (we still had bills to pay and we needed him to work on a financial plan), the part-time Membership Secretary (we knew members would need help and advice), and the Art Gallery Director (part-funded by the Arts Council).

Additionally, we needed our Wedding Coordinator (we had a lot of weddings booked for the spring which would need rescheduling); and Ben and myself from the gardens team were challenged to try and keep some of the garden alive

**Adapting to the first few weeks**:
My team of seven full-time gardeners was slashed to only two, and our 30-ish garden volunteer team were grounded.

I have to admit the first two weeks were completely overwhelming and disorientating. Ben and I have worked together for over 12 years, so we know each other well enough to keep each other buoyant and recognised when we needed each others emotional support.

The first step was figuring out how we could work safely, and we had to change some of our normal practises for simple practical reasons. Having to keep 2m apart meant that we couldn’t lift anything together - work had to be achievable as individuals instead of as a team. We had separate tools and machinery so that we could avoid the possibility of transferring the virus via touch. We ate lunch outside to avoid being in a building together.

Then came the question, what do we do first

Our main priority had to be the protection of the historic gardens. This meant that other areas of the estate were mothballed. Woodlands, meadows, car parks, anything that it wasn’t completely necessary to deal with now, was put on hold. We left any grass areas that we thought we could get away without mowing, as we thought we could sort those out later. Some of the annual seeds we had sown were just thrown away because there was no way we’d have time to prick them all out. We also ditched the idea of doing any softwood cutting thinking we could put it off until August and do semi ripe cuttings instead. The barley straw that Ben normally dons waders for and carefully submerges in the ponds to help slow down algae build up was this year literally just chucked in.

**Having ups and downs**:
One of my toughest days was seeing all the pots of tulips that we had planted out in full flower. I couldn’t bare the idea that no one would be able to enjoy them so Ben and I filled our cars and dropped the pots off at a couple of local nursing homes and then to any friends, volunteers or staff houses that were on our journeys home.

We also knew that we wouldn’t have time to keep watering all the plants in the plant centre. We planted anything relevant in the gardens at Hestercombe, and our General Manager took the rest to the hospice for them to use in their gardens or for the staff to take home. The Easter eggs that we had bought in ready for the Easter egg trail were delivered to the food bank. The idea of sharing all of this made us feel so much better and that it wasn’t a waste.

A few decisions were made for our own well-being. Ben wanted to leaf blow the paths, even though no one would see, but so that he felt better himself. He didn’t like it looking untidy and didn’t want to feel that he’d let standards slip. I took the decision to stake the peonies with woven hazel even though it was time consuming and I was pretty sure no one would see them bloom. But I compromised on the delphiniums and used a quicker technique of canes and string to just get it done. I decided that with no one to see the garden the aim of staking was to keep the plant healthy and so the aesthetic didn’t matter as much.

**A new way of life**:
Slowly we got into a rhythm. Some jobs had to be done. We’d had over 1,000 gladioli corms delivered before the lockdown so they had to go in the ground; we presumed that we might be open by late summer so that helped us to decide to plant the Cannas. But with just two of us we also had to find ways to speed up. We made the most of the hot weather and carried out speed weeding with the hoe, allowing the sun to kill off the weeds as they lay on the surface. With no visitors around we just chucked any larger weeds on the path and left them there to clear up at the end of the week.

Then the bedding plants arrived for the Victorian terrace - all 3,500 of them - in baking hot conditions. This is normally quite a big job that we carry out with the entire Gardens team and lots of volunt

  • Ecological Garden Manager

    5 days ago

    Taunton, Somerset, United Kingdom Spark-A-Change Foundation Full time

    About the RoleThis Ecological Garden Manager position is an exciting opportunity to contribute to Spark-A-Change Foundation's mission of transforming public spaces across Somerset. As an integral member of our team, you will be responsible for designing, managing, and maintaining community gardens that showcase innovative landscaping and ecological...

  • Charity Garden Volunteer

    4 days ago

    Taunton, Somerset, United Kingdom Spark-A-Change Foundation Full time

    Garden VolunteerCorporate groups can volunteer for a day to make a difference at a local animal charity by helping with gardening, groundwork, or maintenance tasks.As a volunteer, your key responsibilities include:Weeding and clearing vegetation from designated areasStaining fences and animal cabins to maintain their appearance and durabilityPruning plants...

  • An Increase of Goldfinches at Hestercombe

    6 months ago

    Taunton, United Kingdom Hestercombe Gardens Full time

    Some good news from the gardens: our gardeners Ben and Claire have been noticing that there are many more goldfinches at Hestercombe than usual. And rather incredibly for this people-shy species, one is even nesting in a standard rose on the Victorian Terrace! If you have a keen eye for bird spotting, then you may be able to just catch a glimpse on your next...

  • Composting: How We Compost

    5 months ago

    Taunton, United Kingdom Hestercombe Gardens Full time

    **Out in the gardens, our gardeners have been making the most of wet days by turning the compost heaps. Head Gardener Claire Greenslade tells us more!**: “We have some bark chip to add into our compost heaps as unfortunately we were forced to fell a couple of ash trees which were suffering with ash dieback. However, this really helps add the carbon needed...

  • Winter Gardening Ideas

    5 months ago

    Taunton, United Kingdom Hestercombe Gardens Full time

    **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...

  • Hestercombe House Opening Information Throughout

    5 months ago

    Taunton, United Kingdom Hestercombe Gardens Full time

    **UPDATE, 7th January 2021: *Please note: in line with the national lockdown, Hestercombe House and Gallery is temporarily closed. Read our full coronavirus statement for opening information.**: To visit Hestercombe House and Gallery (when reopen), you will need to book a gardens admission ticket, which also gives you entry to _Open-Up_, a new series of...

  • Vertical Gardening

    5 months ago

    Taunton, United Kingdom Hestercombe Gardens Full time

    This week I have been getting quite strange looks from visitors. After a year or two of propagating plants we are ready to start following Jekyll's plan of planting up the walls around the plat. Lutyens and Jekyll had such a strong working relationship that Lutyens has built the walls and left gaps specifically for Jekyll to plant into. So the vertical...

  • Public Landscaping Specialist

    5 days ago

    Taunton, Somerset, United Kingdom Spark-A-Change Foundation Full time

    Job SummaryWe are seeking an experienced gardener to join our team as a Green Space Coordinator. As a key member of our small and friendly team, you will be responsible for maintaining and managing community gardens across Somerset, focusing primarily on Taunton.Key Responsibilities:Design and manage community gardens in various locations, considering their...

  • Gardeners Trip

    5 months ago

    Taunton, United Kingdom Hestercombe Gardens Full time

    We all downed tools and went on a garden visit yesterday. Some may consider this a jolly but I think I have convinced everyone that it is a vital educational trip! And it is - we can all get a bit bogged down with whats going on in our own gardens and forget to look around us at our colleagues and competitors. So we boarded the mini bus and went to Prior...

  • Animal Welfare Assistant

    4 days ago

    Taunton, Somerset, United Kingdom Spark-A-Change Foundation Full time

    Job Title: Animal Welfare AssistantAbout the Role:We are seeking a dedicated and compassionate individual to join our team as an Animal Welfare Assistant at Spark-A-Change Foundation's RSPCA West Hatch Animal and Wildlife Centre. In this rewarding role, you will play a crucial part in ensuring the well-being and safety of animals in our care.Key...

  • The Water Garden

    5 months ago

    Taunton, United Kingdom Hestercombe Gardens Full time

    **Visitors will notice a new feature as they take the main drive towards Hestercombe House.**: Visitors will notice a new feature as they take the main drive towards Hestercombe House. A body of water currently awaits restoration to be transformed into an original Water Garden that formerly graced the estate. The Water Garden is situated in the parkland...

  • Covid-19 Update From Hestercombe

    5 months ago

    Taunton, United Kingdom Hestercombe Gardens Full time

    **A regularly updated statement from Hestercombe Gardens regarding steps taken on site to help protect customers and staff from the Covid-19 pandemic.**: **Latest update: Friday 30th April 2021**: **Hestercombe Gardens is open daily for visits**: We are delighted to return to being fully open for visits from members and non-members. Bookings for the gardens...

  • Autumn Garden Events

    6 months ago

    Taunton, United Kingdom Hestercombe Gardens Full time

    Our autumn / winter events are all now online. This week is the **Confident Gardener** workshop - learn about how to prepare semi ripe cuttings with our Head Gardener Claire Reid.

  • All New Garden Tours

    5 months ago

    Taunton, United Kingdom Hestercombe Gardens Full time

    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._

  • Gardener

    5 months ago

    Taunton, United Kingdom St Audries Park Full time

    Enhanced by serene scenery, first-class hospitality and an abundance of comfortable accommodation, St Audries Park offers all the charm you would expect from a beautiful country manor wedding venue in Somerset. With our beautiful Orangery and extensive grounds, our country house is the first choice for many wanting a coastal wedding. Our beautiful wedding...

  • Volunteer Conservationist

    4 days ago

    Taunton, Somerset, United Kingdom Spark-A-Change Foundation Full time

    Conservation VolunteerJoin us as a conservation volunteer at Spark-A-Change Foundation's RSPCA West Hatch Animal and Wildlife Centre.In this role, you will assist our team with various conservation tasks, including:Helping with gardening and grounds maintenance to create a safe and comfortable environment for animalsParticipating in leaf clearing and pruning...

  • Green Ideas for The Garden

    5 months ago

    Taunton, United Kingdom Hestercombe Gardens Full time

    **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...

  • The Confident Gardener Apple Pruning Workshop

    5 months ago

    Taunton, United Kingdom Hestercombe Gardens Full time

    **Today was the first of the Confident Gardener workshops at Hestercombe and we mastered apple pruning. Although very cold, we had dry weather and met a lovely bunch of people who had come to learn how to prune their trees at home. As with anything I am involved with, this also included a great deal of tea drinking and lots of general chat - about gardening...

  • Hestercombe to Host New Exhibition From Celebrated

    5 months ago

    Taunton, United Kingdom Hestercombe Gardens Full time

    **SEDIMENT brings together three decades of work by celebrated German artist Mariele Neudecker. Landscape, the deep sea, the Arctic, environmental concerns and lockdown all have a presence in this major solo exhibition.**: - Image: Mariele Neudecker, We Saw It Coming All Along [1 & 2] 2019, (detail), mixed media on archive print on board. © the Artist-...

  • How to Sow Seeds: a Step-by-step Guide

    5 months ago

    Taunton, United Kingdom Hestercombe Gardens Full time

    **Head Gardener Claire Greenslade shares her step-by-step guide on how to sow seeds, from preparing seed trays to hardening off**: **Why sow seed?**: Sowing seed is one of the most easy, satisfying and cheap ways to get growing. March is the perfect time of year to start the majority of seed sowing. Some people start early in autumn, some start seeds off in...