5 Ways You Can Try Wildlife Gardening at Home

Winter is officially here, but before you chop all your foliage to the ground, think about the wildlife in your garden... The cold months last a long time if you’re a bird, a hedgehog, a deer or a rodent. Places to shelter are vital for the cold months, and food for them to eat gets more and more scarce. Some plants actually prefer it if you leave their...

**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...

**Head Gardener, Claire Greenslade, explains how Hestercombe is fighting ash dieback and trying to protect the future of our woodlands**: Starting this week, and throughout February, our skilled gardening team will be carrying out crucial tree preservation work across the estate, in order to deal with the trees that have sadly succumbed to ash dieback. This...

**In addition to the beautiful landscape and varied plant life, Hestercombe is also a little patch of paradise for native wildlife.**: Exploring the gardens it’s not unusual to catch a glimpse of a roe deer bound away at your approach. You may also hear the rustle of leaves as common lizards busily go about their daily business of bug hunting. Hestercombe...

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...

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....

**Get outside this season, breathe in the fresh air and watch Hestercombe gardens come alive with the rich colours of autumn.**: - Autumn at HestercombeSeptember and October sees Hestercombe transformed by the rich shades of autumn; the cold-loving flowers and shrubs begin to bloom, bringing new colours and points of interest to the gardens. On your next...

**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...

Mindfulness appears to be all the rage these days — and for good reason. University of Oxford professor Willem Kuyken shares that this practice is about developing a greater sense of awareness that ultimately teaches one to be present in the moment with curiosity, kindness, and care. Many people practise mindfulness by doing a yoga session or listening to...

**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...

When it's cold outside and the days are short, it can be all too tempting to hunker down, cosy up and stay indoors. But we're here to convince you to throw on a jacket, pull on your wellies and head outside. Visiting winter gardens is a great way to do this. And while there won't be quite so many blooms, the colder months bring their own unique treats. ...

Somerset Wildlife Trust is a leading charity that promotes awareness and respect for the natural world. We are seeking a highly motivated individual to join our team as a Weekend Nature Leader.About the Role:This is a great opportunity to develop your skills and experience in working with young people and inspiring them to care about the environment. As a...

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...

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...

We are looking for a passionate and committed individual to join our team as a Youth Environmental Champion. As a Weekend Nature Leader, you will be responsible for delivering engaging and informative programs that promote an appreciation of wildlife among children and young adults.About Us:Somerset Wildlife Trust is a leading charity that works to protect...

**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...

**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...

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...

So the late spring has in fact had quite an amazing affect on the garden as everything seems to have come at once. It's an awesome time in terms of colour and it's rare to admire irises, paeonies, roses, wisteria and cistus at the same time - I love it! It is like 3 months condensed into one. Gertrude Jekyll was a great colourist, it was one of her many...

Rate of pay dependant on experience and skill. Desired skills for this role are as follows; - to be thorough and pay attention to detail - patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations - the ability to work well with others - physical skills like lifting, bending and carrying - ambition and a desire to succeed - customer service skills -...