This month has been dominated by the Hastings International Piano Concerto Competition 2024. The event lasts from 22nd February to 2nd March and happens every other year. The garden and estate teams have been busy working hard, getting the site weeded and preened in advance of the guests and contestants’ arrival, many of who will be staying at the hall for the duration of the event. With plenty of guests at the Hall, there is a need for a regular supply of flowers for the house, all cut and sourced from the garden. Thankfully we have a good show of Read More
Garden
Navigating the Winter Garden: Challenges and Pruning Tips for Frosty Nights and Wet Days
This month has seen many frosty nights and beautifully sunny days but also wet and damp spells. Several storms’ systems have also passed through, making it a challenging time of year to be out in the garden. On frosty days, when the ground is frozen, cutting back perennials is impossible. On very wet days, working on sodden soil damages it and causes compaction. So, a good job to do is wet and cold march is to pruning our roses and wall shrubs. ROSE PRUNING This month the gardeners have been pruning roses on the Haha borders. Climbing roses need pruning Read More
Preparing for the Spectacular: Behind the Scenes of our Halloween Open Day and Garden Preparations!
This month we have spent considerable amount of time preparing for the half term Halloween Open Day. It’s only the second time we have opened the garden this year, but it good practice for next year where we will be open once a month from March till November. Aside from the team working hard to weed all the paths, edge the lawns, tidy flowerbeds and finish cutting the meadows, time has been spent setting out and creating the ghost trail with twelve suitable spooky plants being chosen, plus sourcing and arranging pumpkins to go around our autumn pot displays in Read More