The Peter Buckley Learning Centre (PBLC) here at Rosemoor took another step forward last week, as another area turned from bare topsoil to a more attractive, greener environment.

How???  Well, with the help of over 150 square metres of turf that has appeared on the seating space in the allotment plots and the wildlife garden. Over the past few weeks Pete Earl and myself have laid four paved surfaces on to which picnic benches will sit, surrounding this was bare soil, which doesn’t make an ideal surface to enjoy the area. So, earlier last week pallet loads of turf arrived and we  rolled out roll after roll of turf on to what a few weeks ago was a far from perfect  ground that resembled a building site. But with some hard work and more soil, we turned it into something that is far more suited to turf laying

Read More...

The first fieldfares have just arrived at Rosemoor. They move south from Scandinavia to escape the worst of the weather, and spend the winter months with us. They are big thrushes with grey heads and backs and you often see them in flocks with Redwings, another colourful, winter visiting thrush.

One of their favourite trees to feed in when they arrive here is the Malus baccata or Siberian crab apple. We have a fine specimen just below the veg. garden, it’s a big tree which looks stunning in spring when it is smothered in fragrant white blossom and now it is covered in small red apples; ideal food for our blackbirds and thrushes as well as our visiting fieldfares who will gorge themselves for several weeks in readiness for the harsh winter to come

Read More...

Monday 24th October and it was pouring with rain…all day!

Not put off by the persistent precipitation though, Bridget (one of this year’s students) and I endeavoured on a trip in search of ferns! We were not surprised to see ducks floating past the car at window level, quacking and in their element

Read More...

Rosemoor’s nursery has seen an exciting development with the arrival of a large, reconditioned glasshouse from Holland.  The 384,00m2 structure replaces three polytunnels that had served a commendable twenty years of service, but were struggling to protect Rosemoor’s more tender plants in the face of recent winter temperatures down to -15ْ C.  A combination of bubble wrap, fleece and gas hot box heaters thankfully kept losses to a minimum, but when the time came to re-skin some of the tunnels this year, it was clear that an energy-efficient glasshouse could make a real difference to the nursery’s operation.

  Read More...

This summer, the Stone Garden in Lady Anne’s put on a wonderful display, thanks to the interesting range of tender succulent plants in the ornamental pots placed around the area.

Now that autumn is upon us, these plants, including the visitors’ favourite, Aeonium arboreum ‘Atropurpureum’ AGM are lifted and will spend the cold months of the year in a frost-free glasshouse in the Rosemoor Nursery.

Read More...