Holkham Walled Garden

Winter delights

2012-02-08T21:14:00.000Z

Chimonanthus praecox known as Wintersweet

Looking back to a mild December in the walled garden, mildd weather, warm sun, Chimonanthus praecox fragrance in the garden and a skein of geese flying over from Holkham beach.

Chimonanthus and Geese in December at Holkham

Time Passes

2012-02-08T21:12:00.000Z

Walled Garden foliage in Holkham Hall at Christmas

A year has now passed since this website blog began recording the restoration of the Holkham Hall walled garden in North Norfolk.
We look forward to welcoming visitors to the garden in a few weeks time on opening day April 1st to see the changes that have been made over the past year.
Parking is over at the main Holkham Hall and a 'land train' is available to transport you around the lake and over to the walled garden.

Plant Labels

2012-01-28T00:23:00.000Z

Plant Labels

The mammoth task of labelling the plants in the walled garden is underway this winter. The work will begin using the order forms for all the new plants and will move later to identifying the older plants whose labels have been lost or distroyed.

Wyatt's Vinery Roof

2012-01-28T00:20:00.000Z

December 2011 Scaffolding coming down from the Orangery roof

The scaffolding has been taken down now from 'Wyatt's Vinery' which stands opposite the gates to the walled garden. The roof repairs have been made. The upstairs used to house the dormitories for the single gardeners who were looked after by a matron who served their meals downstairs.

Behind the building is the beautiful glasshouse that can be viewed on request during the summer, or seen below in this photograph taken recently.

Wyatt's Vinery winter 201-12

Mild Winter

2012-01-17T09:37:00.000Z

Catkins on the Corylus

Winter and catkins are already forming on the Corylus avellana var.contorta while buds are well under way on the Magnolia orientalis.

What do people read on this blog?

2012-01-13T02:44:00.000Z

Washington filifera

A recent article looked at the 9000 page views on this blog over the past year and the origin of the readership. Statistics are also available to show which of the 200 articles people are accessing. There is overwhelming interest in the Washington filifera, the large palm tree. 10% of the entire readership in fact, which is just as well because the Gardeners at Holkham have lavished so much time and attention cosseting the large specimen that has come out of the Orangery. It has to be wrapped up in its own haystack during the winter.

The four most popular articles this year have all been botanical; the Washington filifera, the Aesculus wangii (a tree planted in Holkham this year with enormous conkers!), Peach Blossom and Robinia Pseudoacia Black Locust, the stately tree in the north west corner of the Arena of plants.

The second four attracting readership have been Viburnum x bodmantense 'Dawn', (which is blooming in the north east corner of the Arena of Plants at the moment and smells delightful), Fig cuttings (Ficus caica), Skimmia japonica 'snow white', and Pieris japonica 'Valley rose'.

Wrapping the Washington filifera Dec 22nd 2011

New Year BBQ

2012-01-07T18:59:00.000Z

New Year BBQ at the walled garden, Holkham Hall

Not the usual BBQ weather but New Year 2012 was a good excuse to light the charcoal on the brazier in the walled garden at Holkham Hall. The landscape team (gardeners and woodsmen) and volunteer gardeners enjoyed a lunchtime special with Tim Marshall the head gardener as chief BBQ cook.

Tim Marshall , Head Chef for the occasion.

Additional volunteers will be given a warm welcome to join in the restoration of the walled garden this year. The team meet up on a Thursday every other week at 9.30am at the walled garden. Gardening experience is helpful, but not essential, as the team is ably led by Jonathan Taylor the deputy head gardener. Wear old clothes, bring a packed lunch and enjoy being part of the restoration project.

Digging over new Beds

2012-01-04T12:43:00.000Z

December 8th starting the new bed in the Arena of Plants

Digging over this bed to the south of the Arena of Plants is a pretty daunting task. It has a layer of gently decomposing black plastic about four inches under the soil which had been laid as a weed suppressant years ago when the garden was a nursery. This makes it impossible to use machinery which would rip up the plastic and make things worse. So, in with the spade, unthread the plastic, throw it in the bucket and turn the soil, repeat....

December 22nd 2011...still digging

Carl Balding

2012-01-01T19:59:00.000Z

Carl Balding bricklaying in the vegetable garden

Carl Balding, gardener at Holkham, has learnt a new skill of bricklaying since working on the restoration of the garden. His brick edges are now all around the new vegetable garden walkways and will be admired for many years to come.

Attractive hand moulded brick pavers have been laid on a cement foundation to edge the paths, the paths dug out and hardcore laid ready for a topdressing of gravel.
It is a big job as there is a vast area of ground to cover . Tim Marshall, Head Gardener explains, "There is roughly 300 metres of pathway in the vegetable area - using roughly 6000 pavers. They are made by a company called York Handmade.”

Carl's careful brick edging

December pruning of the espalier Pears

2011-12-27T22:21:00.001Z

Volunteer gardeners pruning December 8th 2011

Pruning the espalier pears has been proceeding all autumn and into the winter. There is a competition running at the moment to count the number of pear trees in the 6.5 acre garden and around the walls. All will be revealed later in 2012 when the results have been judged and booby prizes awarded at the gardeners BBQ in January. Estimates have been ranging from the twenties to the hundreds.

There are still plenty of pears on one or two of the trees, even in December.

Pears in December

Edging by the High Vineries

2011-12-27T22:10:00.000Z

Edging stones relaid in front of the high vineries

December photographs are unlikely to be full of colour and this one is no exception! Nevertheless, the old edging stones have been beautifully relaid by staff gardener Carl Balding, in front of each of the high vineries to the north of the walled garden.The plan is to have these beds fully functioning next season with the soft fruit and cut flowers moved to the veg patch. Most visitors find their way to the high vineries so this area will be appreciated next year. Below is a photo taken around the same time last year, so much colder then.

2010 in front of the high vineries

Who reads this blog?

2011-12-27T21:06:00.000Z

The first article: October 2010 The last visitors of the season

The readership of this online journal is about to reach 9,000 page views after just over a year. Tim Marshall the head gardener and Sandra Rowney the blog author are delighted to see so much interest. The blog began back in October 2010 and the first article depicted the last visitors of the summer season looking down a rather gloomy muddy vista! During that cold winter of 2010 readers were able to take their first 'virtual' walks around the garden through Sandra's photographs, enjoying the winter blooms and following the construction of vegetable garden.

The garden gates were shut to the public during the winter but online visitors were able to see the restoration work continuing. There were 200 page views in that first month, increasing to 440 in November and 600 in December. Now a year later there are over 30 page views per day.

There is an international readership. Roughly 50% is from the United States, and just over 20% is from Europe (UK, Germany, France, The Netherlands and Spain). The UK readership accounts for about 13% of the total. The rest is made up of readership from Australia, South Korea, Canada and Russia.

Geese at Sunset

2011-12-27T21:03:00.000Z

Sunset over the Holkham estate

The walled garden at Holkham is only a mile or so from the North Sea where the Pink Foot Geese arrive in the winter to feed on the sugar beet tops left by the farms and roost on the marshes nearby. Early morning and at dusk is when the geese are to be seen (and heard!) at their best, flying over the garden in their arrow like skein formations Each bird slip streams behind the other with their wings at a different angle to catch the 'lift' of the bird in front.

Geese flying to their roost at sunset

Veg Patch Pathways

2011-12-13T14:41:00.000Z

Hardcore for the paths

Winter is upon us which is good news for the veg patch pathways as the staff gardeners will now have more time to continue the work from last winter. Here are the pathways in late November, levels found, footings in, brick edges laid and a back fill of hardcore being spread along the paths.
The veg patch has already had its first successful trial season so next year when the vegetables are growing and the paths are topped with gravel the visitors will have a whole new section of the walled garden to explore.

Carl's careful brick edging

Christmas Decorations at the Hall

2011-12-12T22:52:00.002Z

Decorating in progress in the Marble Hall

Christmas decorations at Holkham Hall are proceeding on a grand scale, the volunteer gardeners are pictured here lending a hand with the foliage brought in from the walled garden.

Sorting through the greenery

Greenery from the Walled Garden

The circular bed in the veg patch

2011-12-11T11:49:00.001Z

Work in progress, day one.

Circular bed finally dug over and looking good

Digging over this circular bed in the centre of the veg patch was harder than it looks! Nick Martin took on the challenge. The ground was so compacted that it took a couple of days to complete the job but now it is ready to plant up with segments of herbs next spring.
The good folk from Writtle College set out and laid the circular bed back in the summer, click here to see that work in progress and compare with the finished effect. Together with the olive tree it will be a good focal point when the garden opens to the public on April 1st next year.

Mulberry leaves turning

2011-12-10T15:05:00.000Z

Mulberry Tree in Late November

The delightfully shaped ancient mulberry tree in the western end of the garden -known as the events room- has been changing from a bright green to yellow ochre. I've photographed the tree regularly throughout the year and just caught the change of colour on this day before the leaves dropped.

To see the mulberry tree in summer click on this link (in blue) to an earlier blog posting.

Vitis cognetiae for the Hall

2011-12-09T21:21:00.001Z

Walled garden vine for inside Holkham Hall at Christmas

The walled garden has played its part in decorating Holkham Hall throughout the year but Christmas is extra special as large quantities of foliage add to the beautiful Christmas scenes created inside the building. The Vitis cognetiae from the tower in the garden is resplendent under giant paper snowflakes in an upstairs room.

Red Vine in Holkham walled garden

Agave americana variegata

2011-12-01T14:18:00.001Z

Agave americana variegata

Inside the main gates of the garden there is a greenhouse to the left which is becoming an interesting cactus house with smart black labels. The Agave shown here is variegated. The blue Agave is what the alcoholic drink Tequila is made from in Mexico and the video clip from You Tube below is a fascinating insight into the farming and processing of Agave plants in Mexico.

Pear tree pruning

2011-12-01T13:43:00.001Z

In following articles on this blog look out for a tally of exactly how many pear trees there are in the walled garden, they are about to be counted! They line the walls both inside and outside and are planted along the inner pathways. Jim has been tackling the trees that line the vegetable garden, pruning and shaping them back to the wall.

Fungi

2011-12-01T13:32:00.000Z

There is always something to find tucked away in the walled garden. These were found at the base of one of the many pear trees where the windfalls are gradually composting themselves.

The Arena of Plants

2011-11-27T20:14:00.001Z

November 2011 The Arena of Plants

The Arena of plants is looking promising. The rabbit proof netting has been taken away from many of the new plants, the area dug over and netting put up to establish the boundaries of the shrubberies which in turn marks out the intended pathways.

Marking the boundaries in the Arena of Plants

November Flowers in the Garden

2011-11-21T17:13:00.001Z

Rosa

Abelia

Rosa 'Ballerina'

Daphne retusa tangutica

Clerodendron

Clerodendrom trichtomum

Muck- Spreading time in the Veg Patch

2011-11-21T16:35:00.000Z

Muck Spreading in the Veg Patch

First the weeding then the muck spreading - good rotted manure from the estate farm. This will ensure bumper crops next year in the 'veg patch' when the paths are scheduled to be finished and the public invited in to view the restored kitchen garden.

Just the Stuff!

Colour Display

2011-11-21T16:05:00.000Z

End of Season Weeding

2011-11-21T15:10:00.001Z

Final Weeding for first season herbaceous planting

The herbaceous perennial beds just inside the gates of the walled garden have had a successful first season providing plenty of colour and interest to the visitors as they first step into the garden. The volunteer gardening group have been giving the beds a final careful weeding, leaving areas around the plants to self-seed.

The group blitz the garden every other Thursday and volunteers are most welcome throughout the winter months to help prepare the garden for reopening to visitors in April.

After finishing the flower beds they moved on to the 'veg patch' , tidying up the beds in the late autumn sunshine.

Final weeding for the first season veg patch

Ladybirds in the Medlars

2011-11-21T15:03:00.000Z

Ladybirds in the Medlars

The Medlar Trees ( Mespilus) turn a spectacular colour in the autumn and the fruit appears to attract the ladybirds as a snug retreat. Medlar fruit can be made into jam but is best left until after the first frosts when the fruit is said to be 'bletted' . This decaying process alters the chemical balance in the fruit whereby the sugars increase while the acids and tannins decrease.

Autumn Medlar

Tough Love

2011-11-01T15:53:00.000Z

Tackling the shrubbery

The Thursday volunteer gardeners have been working on thinning out the shrubberies in the walled garden. Jonathan Taylor, Deputy Head Gardener is seen here taking his no nonsense approach to the task. Plenty of new plants are being put in these beds ready for next year when the garden opens to the public again on April 1st.

Thursday Group tackle the shrubberies

Vitus vinifera

2011-11-01T15:51:00.000Z

The autumn colour display is led by the Vitus vinifera cascading over the high walls in the garden.

Vitus vinefera

Pruning the Pears

2011-11-01T15:12:00.000Z

Pruning the Pears

End of October and the pear harvest is drawing to a close. The Thursday volunteer gardeners began to tackle the pruning under the watchful eye of the Deputy Head Gardener. They were looking for this year's new soft growth and pruning back to the second bud. The shapes look wonderful in the depths of winter and allow plenty of light and air for next year's growth.

The walled garden will be closed to the public now until April 1st next year but this internet journal will continue through the winter to keep you up to date with the restoration.

Vacancy on the Gardening Team

2011-10-26T09:45:00.003+01:00

Holkham Hall

There is a vacancy on the gardening team at Holkham. The walled garden is large at six and a half acres but the entire Holkham Estate is some 25,000 acres so the work is wide ranging. Tim Marshall, the Head Gardener (or more accurately, the Landscape Manager) is looking for someone who will fit in with the existing team and who will be able to work with both propagating plants and spraying back plants where necessary.
The details from the Holkham website are: ...........

We are looking for a Landscape Assistant to work within our landscape team. The successful candidate will have plenty of practical horticultural experience; ideally a level 2 in Amenity Horticulture or similar and a PA1 and PA6 spraying qualification. A good plant knowledge and a high level of propagation skill is needed. A full driving licence and the ability to safely use a wide range of garden machinery is necessary.
The ideal candidate will be recognised as someone who takes pride in their work and will help us to continually improve the grounds here at Holkham. As employers we are happy to help you continue your training to enable you to become a top grade horticulturalist. The position is for a 39 hour week with hourly rate of pay dependent on experience.
To apply please send a letter of interest and your CV to :
Tim Marshall - Landscape Manager
Holkham Estate Office, Wells-Next-the-Sea NR23 1AB
Email: t.marshall@holkham.co.uk

Magnolia stellata (Star Magnolia)

2011-10-22T17:17:00.002+01:00

The Star Magnolia, along the pathway backing onto the produce garden, is noted for its beautiful spring blooms but this week in October the seeds look stunning in the low autumn sun.

Cosmos

2011-10-22T17:12:00.001+01:00

Cosmos

The produce garden is bright with Cosmos flowers at the moment, which are being grown for cut flowers to take up to the Hall. Cosmos is native to scrub and meadow areas in Mexico where most of the species occur.

The Orangery roof work

2011-10-22T17:01:00.002+01:00

The roof of the Orangery

The builders are putting the slates back on the roof of the Orangery which is the building opposite the entrance to the walled garden. The building is correctly known as 'Wyatt's Vinery" and dates from around 1780. Water had been penetrating quite freely so the builders have been replacing roof struts and beams where needed and re-roofing. Originally the upstairs was used as a dormitory for single under-gardeners, probably about thirty or so, whilst downstairs was a kitchen, and dining room where a 'matron' would have looked after them.

Pumpkins and Squashes

2011-10-22T16:53:00.000+01:00

Pumpkins and Squashes

Pumpkins and Squashes, a colourful display in the back vinery and a tribute to the first season of the new produce garden in the Holkham Walled Garden.

Rosa odorata 'Mutabilis'

2011-10-22T16:42:00.003+01:00

Rosa odorata 'Mutabilis'

The original label from planting in 1998

It took a stumble and fall in the undergrowth and then a full length sprawl whilst frantically trying to save the camera, to discover this holy grail...the original planting label for the Rosa odorata 'Mutabilis'; final proof of identification.This rose, planted thirteen years ago in April 1998, is now about 5-6ft high and 5-6ft across and grows up against a south facing wall which backs onto the new produce garden. It has had a very long flowering season this year starting in early spring and still producing flowers now in late October.

Defining the Edges

2011-09-30T22:58:00.002+01:00

Volunteer Force busy in front of the vineries

Despite the 26-27 degrees of heat the volunteer force were busy defining the edges and borders in front of the tall vineries whilst the Writtle College student was laying the edge stones. Now the public will be able to walk through the doorway to the vineries and see the defined areas set aside in the past for cut flowers and soft fruit.

Forking over rough ground in 27 degree heatwave

Writtle College student working on the edging stones

Camping in the Walled Garden

2011-09-30T19:29:00.001+01:00

Writtle College Students camping at Holkham

Hot sunny weather for the Writtle College Students camping out in the back of the walled garden. Can you identify the students in the photo? Leave a comment on the blog if you can and we'll post their names by the photos.

Camp Kitchen

Someone has to clean them!

Writtle edging pathways

2011-09-30T19:26:00.001+01:00

Kaoru laying brick path edging

Writtle College staff were teaching students this week the art and craft of cementing the edging bricks around the produce garden areas. Kaoru, a student from Japan, appears to have got the knack.

Writtle students mixing cement for the paths

Writtle Staff and Students edging paths

2011-09-30T18:49:00.001+01:00

The Writtle staff and students have been working all week in the north area of the walled garden. The staff are pictured (above) working on the tricky circular feature in the centre of the produce garden and (below) instructing the students about the necessity of getting the lines absolutely straight when working on such a large scale.

Writtle Students working on the Plant Store

2011-09-30T18:45:00.000+01:00

Writtle Students working on the Plant Store
September 2011

All this week over thirty students and staff from Writtle College in Chelmsford have been working in the Walled Garden as part of their horticultural studies. They are pictured here working on the Plant Storage area, sorting out the plants and erecting the poly-tunnels. .

Writtle Students at Holkham
September 2011

Yucca filamentosa variegata

2011-09-30T18:38:00.000+01:00

The Yucca plant looks resplendent and is obviously loving the present heatwave. It is native to the USA and is the state flower of New Mexico

Clearing the Sunken Glasshouses

2011-09-30T18:29:00.000+01:00

Laura, Heather and Susanne

Phew! It was hot outside, but the intrepid volunteer gardeners found a a reasonably shady place to work, down in the sunken greenhouses under the shade of the netting. They did a great job clearing through the jungle, trimming the plants and sweeping through. A robin had been nesting in one of the plant pots.

Sunken Greenhouses now 'shipshape'

Robin's nest

Jason Hewitt

2011-09-24T15:49:00.001+01:00

The gardening team at Holkham Hall have said 'cheerio to Jason Hewitt this month as he leaves Holkham to take up new work in farming. We wish him well; he's pictured here gathering grapes for the table at the Hall from the Orangery. The moles won't miss him with his mole catching expertise. They have already ruined the lawn at the back of the Orangery, they must have seen him go and nipped out around the back....

Jason Hewitt

Inside a Potting Shed

2011-09-24T14:56:00.000+01:00

Inside the Potting Shed
September 2011

A potting shed looking very tidy, clean and organised at the end of the season.

Colchicum autumnale

2011-09-24T14:05:00.001+01:00

Colchicum autumnale, looking splendid from a worm's eye view in front of the walled garden belltower. It is commonly known as autumn crocus, or 'naked ladies' the latter because the flowers emerge long after the leaves have died back.

Walled Garden Sketches

2011-09-24T13:54:00.001+01:00

Poster outside the
Potting Shed Gallery

There is always plenty to see in the walled garden, from the high vineries to the produce garden. An additional visitor attraction is tucked away in an old potting shed. Step inside to see a gallery of sketches and paintings by artist Sandra Rowney who has been following the progress of the garden throughout the year.

Sandra's paintings are inspired by the walled garden and can also be seen on her internet artist's blog or on her website. The exhibition in the garden will be available to view every day from 10am to 4pm until the end of October.

Preview party in the Potting Shed Gallery
September 2011

Tree Peony

2011-09-20T21:47:00.004+01:00

The attractive red seed pods of the Tree Peony
Paeoni delavayi v.lutea have just begun to burst revealing beautifully glossy black seeds that are falling all around the bush. It is possible to grow these if you have several years worth of patience and don't mind what you are rewarded with!.

Paeoni delavayi v. lutea

Pears

2011-09-20T21:37:00.002+01:00

Nick Martin gathering fallen pears

Pears are everywhere in the walled garden, thousands upon thousands of them and of enormous variety.Too many for the estate consumption and selling them would entail staff to pick, grade, pack and sell, a whole new enterprise of its own. There is a wildlife haven at the moment where the pears fall.
There are around 3000 varieties of pear grown worldwide according to Pear Bureau Northwest

Cydonia oblonga

2011-09-20T21:18:00.001+01:00

Visitors to the Walled Garden are unable to see the Quince Tree at the moment as the end section has been partitioned off for some private functions, but here are the quinces looking fat and furry. In Argentina, Chile, Mexico, Spain, Uruguay and Venezuela, the membrillo, as the quince is called in Spanish, is cooked into a reddish jelly-like block or firm reddish paste known as dulce de membrillo. It is then eaten in sandwiches and with cheese, traditionally manchego cheese, or accompanying fresh curds.

Unknown Rose

2011-09-20T21:05:00.000+01:00

This beautiful rose is still flowering on the north facing side of the 'Arena of Plants' where all the new shrubs and trees have been planted this year. The label has long since gone. Perhaps readers might be able to identify it? If anything it was an even darker colour back in the summer.

Figs in the Vineries

2011-09-20T20:59:00.002+01:00

Visitors to the high vineries will notice the tables are bare, but the decorators have finished painting and the builders finished repairing, so they will be filling up with plants soon.The figs were pruned back mercilessly hard last winter, the photo below is from February 2011, and they have recovered well.

Autumn Colour

2011-09-20T20:54:00.001+01:00

September; and the autumn colour show starts in the Holkham Walled Garden with the Pyracantha berries to the east of the high vineries near the double gates.

Renovating the Cold Frames

2011-09-06T22:43:00.001+01:00

During August the volunteer team and staff sanded and painted the cold frames in the first section. There are wood repairs to be made but they are already looking bright and cheerful. September 1st 2011 and Jim and Jonathan are carefully and patiently replacing cleaned glass panels using the original method of hand made copper inserts and putty.

The Holkham Walled Garden covers six and a half acres so every restoration is on a huge scale.

Visitors to the Garden

2011-09-06T18:15:00.001+01:00

Visitors arrive every day to the garden, sometimes up to fifty a day. Pictured here are the Stuart family who are enjoying discovering the Walled Garden in the late summer sunshine.

Work on the Orangery

2011-09-06T18:01:00.002+01:00

Scaffolding is now surrounding the Orangery in order to tackle roof repairs. The Orangery is immediately opposite the main gates of the Holkham Walled Garden and although not part of the walled area it lies within the Ha Ha ditch that was dug to keep out the deer and grazing stock. There is a well stocked glass house at the back of the Orangery that can be viewed if you ask the Head or Deputy Head Gardener for permission.

Central Tree for the new Produce Garden

2011-08-31T14:36:00.000+01:00

This August the Olive Tree was planted in a very deep hole as centre piece for the new produce garden.
Olive trees can grow for hundreds of years. A few remain in Europe that have been dated over a thousand years old.
Click here for a fascinating table of the world's oldest trees...the Olive Tree is in there too.

Hydrangea aspera villosa

2011-08-31T14:24:00.001+01:00

At the beginning of the year this easterly edge of the Walled Garden boasted mauve lilac and now as August draws to a close it is mauve once again, this time with a beautiful Hydrangea aspera villosa.

Hydrangeas are native to Japan. The young leaves, when dried and rubbed between the hands, become very sweet and are used to make a sweet tea called 'tea of heaven', it is used in Buddhist ceremonies.

Magnolia grandiflora

2011-08-13T22:21:00.000+01:00

High up in the south facing shrubbery along the top of the wall in a corner the Magnolia grandiflora is blossoming in the Holkham Walled Garden. To find it, walk the wall that stretches from the derelict sunken glass houses down past the newly planted 'Arena of Plants'.
Commonly known as the Southern magnolia or Bull bay, it is native to the south eastern United States. Reaching 27.5 m (90 ft) in height, it is a large striking evergreen tree with large dark green leaves and large white fragrant flowers. Widely cultivated around the world, over 100 cultivars have been bred and marketed commercially. The timber is hard and heavy and has been used commercially to make furniture and veneer.

Summer BBQ

2011-08-13T21:55:00.000+01:00

BBQ time on a fine August evening outside the orangery. Tim Marshall, Head Gardener, is cooking up a treat for the staff and volunteers at the Holkham Walled Garden.

Eucryphia glutinosa

2011-08-05T20:53:00.000+01:00

The Eucryphia glutinosa originally from Chile, is situated opposite the Paper Mulberry tree far along the wall to the left as you come in through the gates, in a further section easily found by the door in the wall. It is coming to the end of its flowering season now and getting a little yellowed around the petal tips, but pictured here a week or two ago it was being sought after by the bees with its beautiful sweet smell and by visitors too, as it is a convenient 'nose' height. In twenty to fifty years it can grow up to twenty four feet high, so smell the flowers now while you can reach.

Gathering Blooms

2011-08-05T20:22:00.000+01:00

Gathering weekly flowers for display in the Hall at Holkham needs more than a pretty basket! Jonathan and Diana walk the six and a half acre garden with secateurs in hand gathering blooms in a large wheelbarrow.

Bountiful Onion Crop

2011-08-05T20:14:00.000+01:00

This has been the first year for the new produce garden that is under construction at the back north end of the Holkham Walled Garden. The onions and shallots have done really well and are now drying in the sun in the smaller glasshouses near the gates before delivery to the Hall and Holkham Estate cafes and restaurants.
Jonathan Taylor, the Deputy Head Gardener has supervised the first crops and has been ably supported by the volunteer gardening group who meet on Thursdays.

It is worth a look back at the photo's of the first sowings to see how well the crop has managed in this first year.
Click here

Swallows

2011-08-05T19:32:00.005+01:00

During the intense heat this week the swallows were behaving in an interesting way in the Holkham Walled Garden by clustering and chattering in groups of up to twenty in a tree and then swooping over to flatten themselves against the hot wood of the high vinery. The sunbath would last a few moments and then whoosh! they were off again back to the tree in the garden, backwards and forwards they went. The behaviour appeared rather odd but was entertaining.
Perhaps they are having a last week or two of play before setting off for their long journey south. The RSPB website explains:
"Swallows arrive in the UK in April and May, returning to their wintering grounds in September and October.....British swallows spend their winter in South Africa: they travel through western France, across the Pyrenees, down eastern Spain into Morocco, and across the Sahara. Some birds follow the west coast of Africa avoiding the Sahara, and other European swallows travel further east and down the Nile Valley. Swallows put on little weight before migrating.
They migrate by day at low altitudes and find food on the way. Despite accumulating some fat reserves before crossing large areas such as the Sahara Desert, they are vulnerable to starvation during these crossings. Migration is a hazardous time and many birds die from starvation, exhaustion and in storms. Migrating swallows cover 200 miles a day, mainly during daylight, at speeds of 17-22 miles per hour. The maximum flight speed is 35 mph.

High up in the Vinery

2011-07-24T23:27:00.000+01:00

Work is progressing in the first of the high vineries. Ian and Trevor from Fisher -Bullen are keeping out of the rain and decorating on scaffolding on the inside and together with Stuart and Jimmy they are working their way around the panes of glass, the woodwork and the fixtures.

Crops in the 'Veg Patch'

2011-07-24T23:06:00.000+01:00

The 'Veg Patch' is producing good crops in its first year. At this time of year the gardening team are busy around the rest of the Holkham Hall estate and have limited time in the Walled Garden. Fortunately the team of volunteer gardeners have been able to help with weeding and nurturing of the vegetables and have had some good successes as these photographs testify. At the end of the summer season when the Hall and grounds are closed to visitors the gardening team will be able to resume work on the pathways around the vegetable area.

Doughnut Peaches

2011-07-24T22:44:00.001+01:00

The Doughnut Peaches are ripe and ready to eat in the back walls of the high vinery. So called because of their flattened shape, they are becoming very popular according to an article in the Guardian newspaper back in 2009.

"It seems too good to be natural, this fruit. But as they said of the Thai aubergine, just because it's cute doesn't mean it's been genetically modified. This is a bona fide peach species, first grown in China in the 19th century. What is surprising is that they've taken so long to catch on, because they are perfect for almost everybody. Supermarkets love them because they are flat, so you can stack them in a more orderly fashion. Kids love them because they look just like doughnuts and are smaller and more hand-shaped than regular peaches. Adults love them because they have a different, many would say better, flavour, sweeter and with an almond top-note." Guardian 2009

Volunteer Army

2011-07-13T21:19:00.000+01:00

The Holkham Walled Garden restoration is moving on apace thanks to the efforts of the volunteer gardeners who join the main gardening team every other Thursday and who work with the Deputy Head Gardener, Jonathan Taylor. Here they are working on the 'Arena of Plants', which will be a planned walkway through interesting specimen plants. The plants in this area are still being protected from the rabbits by chicken wire while in their early stages of growth whilst the smudges in the photographs are evidence of the rain showers which were ignored by the intrepid team. It seems that Winston the dog is not amused or impressed with Jim Dowdy's haul of weeds.

The volunteering team are a cheerful group who enjoy the restoration work in the garden whatever the weather. Nick Martin and Linda Rogers bring Winston along with them, Barbara Oliver enjoys working in the garden whilst her husband is a volunteer in the Bygones Museum over in the Hall. Suzanne Duston is one of the volunteers along with Jim Dowdy, known for his beautiful garden in nearby Wells, and who brings a wealth of gardening knowledge with him. In the third photograph is Jonathan Taylor, Deputy Head Gardener (right) with Jake Hill(left) who is on work experience from the Alderman Peel School in Wells.

Recovery from the Frosts

2011-07-13T09:58:00.001+01:00

There were fears earlier in the year that some of the more tender plants would be lost to the very cold winter and then the spring drought. The Holkham gardening team lavished enormous care on the two plants pictured below; one was cocooned in a custom built straw stack, the other had a hand-stitched straw-lined 'tent' surrounding it, worthy of a Glastonbury camp.
Now we are into July and you can see the new growing tip at the top of the Washingtonia filifera and the new growth of two leaves at the base of the Schefflera macrophylla.

Repainting the Vineries

2011-06-21T11:30:00.000+01:00

Work has begun on repainting the tall vineries on the the north side of the Holkham Walled Garden. It is eight years now since the vineries were restored and the maintenance needs to be done to keep them from falling into disrepair. They are to painted with a linseed oil- rich Holkham paint that nourishes into the wood rather than laying on the top of the wood.

The plants were removed from inside and taken to the holding bay near the produce garden, then, after weeks of drought the skies darkened and down came the rain as the men arrived with their ladders. The plan is to lay boards across the hooks in the outside framework and walk up the outside rather like walking up the roof batons when re-roofing a house.

Moving the Lemon Trees

2011-06-18T11:18:00.000+01:00

June in the Holkham Walled Garden and the lemon trees are being moved out of the protection of the Orangery to be planted up in huge tubs inside the main gates.
Jason Hewitt, Carl Balding and Tim Marshall the Head Gardener put the trees onto pallets behind the tractor to move them across the courtyard.

June in the Garden

2011-06-16T18:13:00.000+01:00

June and the Holkham Walled Garden is full of flowers. This view is through the phlomis russeliana to one of the doors in the wall to the new produce garden.

The new planting of herbaceous perennials this year, just inside the entrance gates, has been a great success after careful watering by the gardening team through the drought.

Bees in the Pineapple Broom

2011-06-13T15:28:00.000+01:00

The Holkham Walled Garden is buzzing with life. The pineapple broom, cytisus battandieri is attracting the bees with its fragrance of pineapple.

lochroma australe

2011-06-05T20:42:00.001+01:00

Sometimes known as Mini Angel's Trumpets this beautiful blue flower is now happily blooming on a south facing wall in the Holkham Walled Garden. It is originally from South America and is especially seen in Bolivia where Tim Marshall, Head Gardener at Holkham, has been on many plant hunting expeditions.
Comments on the best growing conditions for this plant can be found from Vancover to Cardiff on a website called Dave's Garden. It appears that you can kill this plant with kindness as it likes dry conditions and poor soil.

Robinia pseudoacacia. Black Locust

2011-06-04T21:23:00.002+01:00

There is a special scent in the air from the white blooms of the Robina pseudoacacia (false acacia) also known as Black Locust along the pathway of the Holkham Walled Garden. It can be found in the western side of the second section or 'room' known as the 'Arena of Plants' much of which which has been newly planted and is currently behind rabbit proof wire netting. It is a fascinating tree, and worth reading about on the Wikipedia website because of the wealth of information there.

The tree is a native of the south eastern United States and was introduced into Britain in 1636. It is a highly prized tree for its wood as it is one of the heaviest and hardest woods in North America. Apparently as a young man, Abraham Lincoln spent much of his time splitting rails and fence posts from black locust logs, and no wonder, as the heartwood can last over 100 years in the soil without rotting.

Viewing the Greenhouses

2011-05-24T19:45:00.000+01:00

Visitors to the Holkham Walled Garden are always interested in the vast greenhouses that face south along the north wall. This week they became a refuge from the gusting wind. Gradually the plants that have been overwintering there are now being planted out, this week the big tree fern was moved out.
Christine Hiskey writes in the Spring 2011 Norfolk Gardens Trust Journal that, 'the massive glass houses that can be seen today on the north wall of the present gardens were built for the 2nd Earl of Leicester in 1872 by Henry Ormson, at a cost of over £1400, and restored in recent years with the help of an English Heritage grant .....For a time, baskets of surplus peaches, nectarines, figs and grapes were sometimes sent by the morning passenger train from Holkham station for sale in the London market that evening."

Win some, lose some..

2011-05-24T19:27:00.000+01:00

Succulent cabbages grown in the new produce area of the Walled Garden are taken to the Hall, restaurants and cafes for cooking.

Not all cabbages make it that far....first there is the drought, now we have gale force winds that can whip away the netting. Then in come the pheasants and pigeons for a tasty snack.

You win some and lose some.

Broussonetia papyrifera, The Paper Mulberry

2011-05-17T18:56:00.000+01:00

The Paper Mulberry Broussonetia papyrifera has just come into bloom along the south wall of the the Holkham Walled Garden. It has fascinating flowers in a beautiful shade of mauve.

It is a deciduous tree growing to 15 metres (49ft) tall in the family Moraceae and a native of eastern Asia. It is known as the Paper Mulberry because it is related to the Mulberry Tree and the bark is composed of very strong fibres used for making high quality paper and a cloth called tapa cloth.

Vegetable Patch

2011-05-15T18:43:00.000+01:00

Despite the drought the 'veg patch' is becoming productive. The work of the volunteers has paid off so that what little water there is goes to the vegetables and not to the weeds.

The paths have still to be finished with a top dressing of gravel so the vegetable garden is not open for the public to walk around just yet although it can be viewed through the door in the wall.

Onions and shallots are soaking up the unusual amounts of sunshine. As a variety of onion shallots taste somewhat like a common onion, but have a sweeter, milder, and yet richer and more complex flavor. Shallots tend to be more expensive than onions. They can be stored for at least 6 months.

The Mulberry Tree

2011-05-15T18:14:00.000+01:00

No silkworms on the Mulberry Tree but an interesting lime green spider instead, possibly the 'Cucumber spider' happily basking in the sun whilst the tree is in full flower. There are two Mulberry trees in the Holkham Walled Garden, the largest one swoops gracefully down over the ground at the far west end, the smaller one is nearby at the west end of the Produce Garden.

Mulberry leaves, particularly those of the white mulberry, are ecologically important as the sole food source of the silkworm (Bombyx mori, named after the mulberry genus Morus), the pupa/cocoon of which is used to make silk.The ripe fruit is edible and is widely used in pies, tarts, wines, cordials and tea. The Mulberry is also an important source of Anthocyanins which are pigments used in medicine and especially as natural food colorants.

Drought conditions

2011-05-15T17:00:00.001+01:00

The priority in the Holkham Walled Garden is keeping plants, trees and shrubs watered, especially the recently planted herbaceous perennial bed here near the entrance gates. Hose pipes run up and down the garden.

The Centre for Ecology and Hydrology has confirmed drought conditions in East Anglia which has received just 12% of the average rainfall for the period in the wake of an exceptionally hot, dry April. In its monthly summary for April, the centre said England and Wales received the lowest March and April rainfall since 1938, with a few regions suffering the lowest rain in records dating back more than 100 years.

It was the hottest April across the UK in records dating back 100 years, and a longer record for central England shows it was provisionally the warmest April in the area for more than 350 years.

Sophora tetraptera

2011-05-08T23:44:00.001+01:00

The Sophora tree, a native of New Zealand is now in full bloom, before the foliage arrives. To find it in the Walled Garden walk through the gates and turn left. Follow the path through the entrance to the next section and turn right, strolling to the top of the path.

These trees are known as Kowhai in New Zealand and are grown in many gardens there. All parts are poisonous but the Maori traditionally used it for medicines.

Holboellia latifolia

2011-05-08T23:11:00.000+01:00

As you walk through the gates of the Holkham Walled garden, follow the path around to the far right and stop when you reach the first set of sheds that extend from the centre. There you will see the evergreen climber Holboellia latifolia.....though you are more likely to smell the intense fragrance long before you see it.

The Royal Horticultural Society website describes Holboellia latifolia as known for over 100 years, being the first species to be found and described by the Danish physician Nathaniel Wallich (1786–1854) in his 1824 account of the plants of Nepal. It was Wallich who coined the name Holboellia, naming the plants after Frederik Ludvig Holbøll (1765–1829) who was superintendent of the Copenhagen Royal Botanical Garden.

Roses in the Walled Garden

2011-05-08T22:49:00.000+01:00

Early May and the roses are clambering up the walls and peeping around corners in the Holkham Walled Garden.

Volunteer Day in the Garden

2011-05-03T14:13:00.000+01:00

Volunteer gardeners joined us for a day last week and their hard work was really appreciated. The 'Veg Patch' is now in pristine order and (if and when) the rains come, the vegetables will reap the benefit. Tim Marshall, Head Gardener, is always keen to encourage volunteers to help out with the restoration of the Walled Garden.

If you have an interest in gardening and would like to spend some time in this wonderful location and don't mind getting your hands dirty, please give Tim a call on 07884 183543 to find out when the next volunteer day is being arranged. We can offer you a packed lunch for your troubles and you get the satisfaction of being part of the special five year project of restoring the Walled Garden at Holkham.

Early Grapes

2011-04-28T22:57:00.000+01:00

Mid April and the grapes are forming in the heated Orangery opposite the gates to the Holkham Walled Garden. The sunlight is shining through the bright lime green of the new vine leaves.

The Veg Patch

2011-04-24T20:51:00.001+01:00

Jonathan Taylor, Deputy Head Gardener at Holkham calls this area the 'veg patch' a diminutive title for what is slowly becoming a rather grand area for vegetables.

The pathways have yet to be completed but Jonathan is busy filling the prepared beds with all sorts of wonders. 'Frisina' and 'Bughatti' lettuce, 'Early Onward' and 'Pea avola' pea, and for broad beans, 'Green Wonder' and the delightfully titled, ' Mr Bunyard's Exhibition'.
Who was Mr Bunyard? click here!

New Chilli Plants

2011-04-22T23:04:00.001+01:00

Tim Marshall, Head Gardener at Holkham is pictured here with chilli plants 'Scotch Bonnets' that have been potted up ready for the glasshouse. This is a new venture with a local chilli sauce producer Glynn, of Norfolk Heatwave, who is based at nearby Weybourne near Holt. We'll be following the progress of the plants along the way on this blog.

Lawn Mowing

2011-04-22T23:02:00.002+01:00

The Grove is the third of the 'rooms' or sections of the Holkham Walled Garden that you come to after turning left inside the gates. An artist's eye sees The Grove as a grassland full of natural flowers of different colours and textures but the Head Gardener sees it as in dire need of a lawn mower! Today though the Grove had a reprieve whilst Carl Balding, one of the gardening team, fixes the broken belt drive on the mower.

Did the Schefflera Survive?

2011-04-20T21:52:00.001+01:00

Regular readers of this blog will recall the concern for the Schefflera during the worst winter here for 100 years. I photographed this with dismay on Monday but the following day Tim Marshall, Head Gardener at the Holkham Walled Gardener had a proper look and writes,

"I had a rumage and unwrapped the Schefflera macrophylla yesterday and ....... it is alive !!! It has a nice large bud growing from the main stem just above ground level .... very happy.."

Will Giles grows Schefflera's in his Exotic Garden in Norwich, Norfolk. His have managed to come through the winter reasonably well, though he was concerned. Thanks Will for leaving a comment on our blog. To visit our specimen and cheer it on as it recovers this spring, turn right at the gates and follow the path around along the east wall.

Viburnum and Lonicera

2011-04-20T20:23:00.002+01:00

Further along the pathway from the tree peony (see last post) the sweet smelling Viburnum carlesii and the Lonicera tartarica 'Hacks Red' are snuggled up and flowering happily together in the spring sunshine. The Lonicera is a form of shrubby honeysuckle originating in China.

Paeoni delavayi v.lutea

2011-04-20T19:54:00.000+01:00

Once inside the Holkham Walled Garden turn left and stroll along the pathway behind the tower with the weather vane. The Paeoni delavayi v.lutea is bursting into flower and looking magnificant.
Delavay's tree peony is a species of peony named after Pierre Jean Marie Delavay (1834-1895) a French missionary, explorer and botanist who went to China in 1867 and sent over 200,000 plant specimens back to France.

Bird Nesting Boxes

2011-04-20T19:26:00.000+01:00

Bird nesting boxes have been fixed to walls around the Holkham Walled Garden. There are six at the moment although I only found one on Monday having been hopelessly distracted by all the flowers that are blossoming.
To find the one in the photograph, turn left at the gates and stop at the first entrance into the 'Arena of Plants' and look up to the left near the Garrya elliptica. Jason Hewitt, one of the gardening team, has seen some activity around it so please leave a comment if you notice any lodgers.

Early Morning Shadows

2011-04-19T16:48:00.000+01:00

8 o'clock in the morning on April 18th and the shadow of the weather vane tower is thrown against the wall of the Holkham Walled Garden. Not a sight the visitors will see as opening time is midday, but we can share it with you on this blog and let you have a lie in instead.

A clear blue sky, lovely weather for visitors but a drought in the garden and the gardeners are busy watering all the hundreds of new plants that have been planted these past few weeks.

Oh to be in England....

2011-04-19T15:46:00.001+01:00

Oh to be in England,
Now that April's there.......

Robert Browning's poem is especially apt now that the mid April weather is so glorious in Norfolk and visitors are arriving in the afternoons to the Walled Garden. They are arriving on bicycles, in the special buggy cheerfully driven by David, and along the footpath around the lake from the Hall.

The garden is being restored but there is plenty to see and pathways to explore.

Planting on a Grand Scale

2011-04-02T22:33:00.000+01:00

The Holkham Walled Garden extends to six and a half acres, so planting is on a grand scale. April 1st and the gardeners are planting hundreds of herbaceous perennials of every shape, size and hue. These will form a swathe of colour and texture in the first room that visitors enter as they walk through the wrought iron gates of the garden.

Buggy Riding

2011-04-02T22:12:00.001+01:00

Visitors to the Holkham Walled Garden are treated to a special Buggy Ride from the Hall and car park with a dedicated friendly driver. There are comfy seats, wet weather protection and a scenic ride past the grand frontage of Holkham Hall. The ride continues round by the lake with a glimpse of the ancient Ice House and then over the Ha Ha (seriously) and up to the gates of the garden. You can even put a buggy in the buggy as these visitors will testify.

Azara microphylla

2011-04-02T22:00:00.001+01:00

Jonathan Taylor, Deputy Head Gardener, mentioned the Azara microphylla which was wafting fragrance across the Holkham Walled Garden. Can you believe it? This shrub, originally from South America, actually smells like a freshly baked chocolate cake being taken from the oven.
It wasn't easy to find as the flowers are tiny and the leaf arrangement looks rather like a Cotoneaster horizontalis. If you are visiting the garden turn left at the main entrance, continue along the path and into the second 'room' where newly planted shrubs are swathed in rabbit proof wire. Continue to the end of this room until you reach the mature shrubs on your right and just stop...and sniff....and think of chocolate cake.

First Visitors of the Season

2011-04-02T21:34:00.000+01:00

Friday April 1st 2011 and the first visitors of the season came into the Holkham Walled Garden to enjoy a walk in the mild spring weather. The gardeners had been working hard cutting grass, mulching borders, raking gravel, and getting everywhere ship shape before opening time.

Gardeners' Winter: Contemporary Art Exhibition

2011-03-30T01:53:00.001+01:00

Friday April 1st is the beginning of the summer season at Holkham. The first visitors will arrive on the afternoon buggy ride from Holkham Hall to the Walled Garden. Now you will be able to come into the garden through the wrought iron gates and see for yourselves the restoration work that has been going on throughout the winter. An exhibition of contemporary prints by the Artist-in-Residence, Sandra Rowney, will be an added attraction. Sandra has been documenting the work of the gardening team over the past six months and the artwork gives a playful glimpse of life in the Walled Garden during the winter.