Association of Gardens Trusts

2012

2012-02-06T10:43:00.000-08:00

Early February and I'm snowed in....an unexpected opportunity to bring you up-to-date with some of the things that lie ahead in 2012.

What a contrast to the weather we had at the end of 2011. Sally Walker and I went along to the Heritage Alliance AGM in December. As it was held in a converted warehouse in Wapping we expected to freeze - but it was positively balmy. Heritage Alliance brings together representatives from over ninety different non-government organisations - everything from the Railway Heritage Trust to the National Piers Society. As a result, the warehouse was full of engaging personalities, all equally passionate about the heritage interests of their particular organisation.

If you're not aware of Heritage Open Days it's worth making a note in your diary now. For three days every year (6-9 September in 2012) anyone and everyone can explore an extraordinary array of historic properties free of charge. Many of them are usually closed to the public. What an inventive way to generate enthusiasm for our heritage! Details of this year's venues will be posted on the website in the summer. http://www.heritageopendays.org.uk/ . I struggle to tear myself away from the garden at that time of year, but having read the 'highlights' from 2011 ( http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/about/news/heritage-open-days-2011-highlights ) I think I'll forget the deadheading for a couple of days.

2012 could be a particularly exciting year for GreenLINK, the green-sector's relatively recently formed version of Heritage Alliance. It's launching a brave new venture - one that I suspect could be of great benefit to us, both at a national and at a county level.

Realising that many green-related charities are struggling to be heard in this economic climate, GreenLINK are proposing 'a shared sector approach' which they hope will raise support from 'previously untapped sources'. A new website will give organisations like ours the opportunity to tell the world about what we do and the kind of help we need. Businesses and individuals who are blissfully unaware of our existence will have the chance to learn about our projects.

Entitled 'Green-Giving', the initiative will work at a local, a city and at a national level. It should attract a more diverse audience than small organisations like our own are usually capable of reaching. If it works well, it should match up the many people who would like to make a contribution (whether of time or money) with the organisations that need help. It could take a while for the venture to get going, but it's difficult to see a down-side for organisations like ours. I'll keep you up-to-date with its progress.

Have you noticed the 'Garden for the Games' link on the Home Page of the AGT website? If your Trust decides to get involved, do let me know. A friend of mine is one of the thousands of volunteers recruited to help with the Games. He's finding that being involved with the energy, enthusiasm and sheer scale of the Olympic machine is hugely uplifting.

If you haven't had a look at Verena's Historic Landscape Project Forum yet then this cold snap could be the perfect time. There are several discussions going on at the moment. A Gardens Trust member from Sussex has a question about websites. Another member from Cheshire would like to hear from anyone who is using geographic information research systems (GIS) for garden history research. Verena has asked a useful question about the way we market ourselves - something we may need to think about if the GreenLINK 'Green-giving' project is successful.

Good Opportunities

2011-12-20T06:15:00.000-08:00

If it hadn't been for the County Gardens Trusts' SE Regional Forum, November would have been a tricky month for blogging. I represented the AGT at a few meetings which, although forward looking were pretty sombre in tone. Most organisations are struggling to cope with enormous changes - good news was thin on the ground.

The CGT Forum was organised by Verena McCaig, our Historic Landscape Project Officer. Verena, as you know, is half-way through a three year project designed to unlock the potential of the Gardens Trusts. As training is a crucial part of the Project, Verena gave us an update on the workshops she has held so far. I'd been along to observe the second in the series ('Researching Historic Designed Landscapes for Local Listing') and so was interested to hear feedback from other Trust members about the training they had received. It wasn't a surprise to hear that they couldn't recommend it highly enough.

The workshop I attended was run jointly by Verena and Virginia Hinze (formerly of English Heritage). Both Verena and Virginia hope to see the excellent research that is being carried out by the Gardens Trusts put to good use.  Rather than sitting in archives gathering dust, it has an important part to play in the ongoing development of local lists of parks and gardens - something with which around 50% of local planning authorities are now working. (For more information see http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/caring/listing/local/local-designations/local-list/   also the members area on the AGT website - access via the Historic Landscape Project page.)

Virginia is introducing Gardens Trust members to the approach used by English Heritage (EH) to register sites of national importance. Gardens Trusts can then use the same system to describe sites important at a local level. The EH format provides a structured way of recording a site and producing a final report. It's a method that is both recognised and respected by local authorities and conservationists. Using the same format for Gardens Trusts' research will ensure that the end product will be both respected and accessible and will give Gardens Trusts researchers the satisfaction of having made a real contribution.

Some of the researchers at the workshop I attended were experienced, others were not - but everyone found the day useful. What a shame that a lack of funding prevents Verena's project being repeated throughout the country. The long term benefits to our heritage would surely outweigh the short term costs? If you live in the south-east do make the most of the opportunity that Verena's project has given us. We must be one of the few organisations in the country whose members are being offered training packages rather than having them cut!

If you can't attend a workshop then, as a close second-best, you can download the training packages that Verena and Virginia have produced from the AGT website. Signing up for the Members Area via the Historic Landscape Project page will give you access to the material and will also allow you to join the forum and share your experiences with other CGTs.

Providing us with training is just one part of Verena's work.  If our research, contacts and local knowledge are to be put to good use then people need to know where to find us. So, Verena has also been working with Natural England's Land Management teams, ensuring that they know and understand what we do and how best to work with us.

The capabilities of the Gardens Trusts were also mentioned by Jonathan Lovie of The Garden History Society (GHS). Jonathan, together with Linden Groves (the GHS Casework Manager) gave the Regional Forum an update on the internal changes that are going on in their organisation.  Uncertainties about funding mean that they need to put in place a system that will continue to protect the historic environment despite economic uncertainty and changing circumstances.

Even before the economic difficulties began, the GHS was receiving an enormous number of planning consultations every year. In the eight hours a week that Linden's post allows, it was only able to respond to a fraction of these.  They hope that we in the Gardens Trusts, with our local knowledge and expertise, will be able to help stabilise or perhaps even increase the number of consultations that are being given attention.

Jonathan underlined the fact that this is an invitation. Each Gardens Trust will be able to decide on the level of involvement with which they feel comfortable. Comprehensive training will be available for any Trust that would like it. These are early days. A way of working that suits us all will evolve slowly. Jonathan and Linden would like our input and feedback.  Once a good system of communication is in place, this sharing of responsibility can only be of benefit to the threatened designed landscapes about which we all care.

How does anyone interested in Garden History improve their knowledge now that the majority of courses in the subject have been axed? Verena gave Kate Harwood (Herts GT) and Janice Bennetts (Hampshire GT) the opportunity to tell the Forum about their solution to the problem. As Kate told us, conservation depends on people understanding the importance of the sites on their patch. Without some sense of historical context this understanding is difficult to achieve.

Both Trusts recently set up a series of Garden History Lectures to rectify the situation. Herts GT opened their course to members and to the general public. It proved to be so popular that it had to be repeated. By the time both courses had run, all the non-members had become members and many are now researchers. Organising a course would seem to be an innovative way to both educate and to recruit.

Joyful Gardening

2011-11-02T10:27:00.000-07:00

A short month from a Trustee and gardening point of view as I spent part of it walking in the mountains of Western Crete. Not an ideal time of year for flowers perhaps, but perfect for enjoying the abundance of early autumn. I ate courgettes and chestnuts cooked in more ways than I had imagined possible.

I was walking with a group of people who, although great lovers of the outdoors, are not plants-people. It made me realise just how fortunate we gardeners are. Quietly recognising plants around us (and having a curiosity about those we don't) adds layer upon layer of pleasure to an activity as simple as walking. Spotting the occasional bright red fruit of arbutus and enjoying the glorious smell of crushed thyme kept me going over many a rocky crag.

The joy that plants and gardening bring to us was mentioned at the Institute of Horticulture's AGM and Conference earlier this month. The Conference focused on young people in horticulture and the ways in which they can be encouraged and supported. When accepting the President's Award for his work in this field, Chris Beardshaw made a comment which could be usefully tattooed on the back of our hands - or at least written somewhere where we can be sure to see it once a day. He said that it is our responsibility to pass on the joy we feel when we are around plants. I think we all recognise that joy every day but what are we doing to spread it around?

In the last week or so, I've been preparing some information for a symposium on community gardening. The question I had to answer was 'What does the AGT understand by Community Gardening?' When I started to investigate the extent of the CGTs' involvement in community gardening projects, I realised that it was going to be very difficult to precis. From introducing vegetable gardening in schools, to the creation of new public gardens, the Gardens Trusts seem to be doing their bit. Yes, research, conservation and the protection of historic gardens are central to our aims, but we do realise that those aims will only continue to be achievable for as long as we have a population that understands the point of gardening.

So perhaps we are already passing on some joy? But is there something we could do to spread it more widely? We could start by ensuring that we all know about the projects that are working well throughout the country. Do let me know about anything inspirational that is going on in your county. Perhaps it is something that could be duplicated elsewhere? If not, just reading about its success could bring joy to someones day.

For those of you who have visited the Gothic Temple at Stowe Landscape Park - yes, we did find the owl, Neptune and three crowns hidden in the ceiling. But it took us a long time and gave us very stiff necks!

Power Gardening

2011-10-10T02:51:00.000-07:00

Power Gardening

My September was a month dominated by 18^th century gardens. A lot of time was spent admiring very different landscapes over a variety of ha-has. I arrived at the AGT conference at Worcester College in Oxford, fresh from a few days in the Landmark Trust’s late 18^th century folly, Clytha Castle in Monmouthshire. Built by William Jones in 1790 in memory of his wife, it is just as perfect for an escape from the world today as it was for his contemporaries. http://www.landmarktrust.org.uk/BuildingDetails/Overview/162/Clytha_Castle#

Orchard at Worcester College, Oxford

The subject of the AGT conference (organised this year by Oxfordshire Gardens Trust) was ‘Power Gardening’. First on the list of visits was Blenheim – a landscape which shouts power with a big ‘P’. Rousham, Shotover and Heythorpe completed the quartet, perfectly illustrating the transition towards Arcadian informality. I’ve no idea how many times I’ve visited Rousham. Not only is it a particular personal favourite, but it was essential viewing for those of us who read Garden History at Bristol. Nevertheless, as is the case with all great gardens (or perhaps any garden), there is always more to learn and alternative interpretations to consider. It was a well-organised weekend that managed to be both thought-provoking and fun.

On the subject of ‘thoughts,’ it was suggested during the Oxford-based AGM that the Gardens Trusts cost very little to join – that our membership fees are low in comparison to those of other similar organisations. The question raised was ‘are we selling ourselves too cheaply?’ I heard a similar point being made at a recent horticulture conference. Do we gardeners underestimate the value of our efforts and the importance of what we do? Is there a danger that if we don’t appear to value our organisation highly then people will assume that we aren’t worth joining? Or, in the current economic climate are these questions impossible to answer?

A 19^th century landscape, Brookwood Cemetery in Woking, was the subject of a September Study Day organised by the AGT, Surrey GT and the Garden History Society. Brookwood is the largest cemetery in England. It was laid out and planted according to JC Loudon’s principles, at a time when the volume of London’s dead was causing concern. A special station was built near Waterloo to carry funeral parties to Brookwood on a daily basis. A fascinating morning of presentations by excellent speakers was followed by one of the wettest landscape viewings I’ve ever experienced – and there have been a few. Despite the rain, wind, thunder and lightning it was impossible not to be wowed by the sheer scale of the place. The Military Cemetery was particularly impressive. If you are in the area, it is worth exploring. http://www.exploringsurreyspast.org.uk/themes/places/surrey/woking/brookwood_cemetery

A visit to South Hill Park in Bracknell took me smartly back to the 18^th century again. The day was organised by Berkshire Gardens Trust and the Landscape Institute South East. South Hill Park is a vibrant arts centre which I use regularly so I was particularly keen to hear about its history and the Heritage Lottery funded restoration that is nearing completion there.

It is one of just two houses in Berkshire that were built by an Indian Nabob. Today, at least one third of its park has been developed. Its ice-house and its impressive cedars are surrounded by a housing estate and a road cuts the park into two halves. Until recently, the management of the surviving sections of the estate was divided between seven different regimes. It is little wonder that the house had lost any real sense of its 18^th century grandeur.

Partly as a result of the modern housing estates that surround it, South Hill Park is even more a public space than the grounds of the recently restored Chiswick House. Graffiti and vandalism will always be a possibility. Rather than attempting to shut the public out, the management are taking a very up-beat and inclusive approach. So far, the results have been encouraging. http://www.bracknell-forest.gov.uk/leisure/leis-parks-and-countryside/leis-parks-and-countryside-sites/leis-historic-grounds-restoration.htm

After a hectic few weeks of meeting deadlines, the month is ending as it started. I’ll be spending a couple of days in another 18^th century Landmark Trust property – the Gothic Temple at Stowe. Apparently there’s an owl hidden somewhere in the domed ceiling of the James Gibbs designed tower. If I find it, I’ll let you know.

Skillful gardening

2011-08-31T08:13:00.000-07:00

As you know, the first phase of the English Heritage 20-year restoration project at Wrest Park in Bedfordshire has been opened to the public. I was lucky to be part of a group shown around by an historian involved with the project's research. It was rather like walking through an enjoyable garden history revision lecture. The de Grey family, who owned Wrest Park from the Middle Ages until the early 20th century, commissioned several 18th century landscape designers and conversed with many others. Rather than being thrown out, lost at sea, or destroyed in an unfortunate house fire, the papers, letters and diaries detailing much of the garden's development have survived - it's any garden history researcher's dream. Those of you with a place on the AGT study day in October are in for a treat.

Given the current concern about recruiting and training the horticulturalists of the future, it was good to hear that eight young gardeners have been taken on at Wrest Park under an historic gardens apprenticeship scheme. What a great opportunity to gain skills and qualifications - and on such an exciting project. No doubt it will provide a wonderful boost to their horticultural careers.

The importance of retaining the valuable horticultural skills most at risk in this economic climate was discussed at a recent GreenLink meeting. Peter Wilkinson, Chair of GreenSpace National Forum, would like to harness the skills of those leaving the sector, whether through retirement or redundancy, before they disappear. GreenSpace, in partnership with Horticulture Week, Perennial, and Lantra, plan to set up a pilot scheme to tackle the problem. It will enable those keen to remain in touch with the industry to act as a coach or mentor, or to support volunteer groups. I will report back as the scheme develops.

Gardening skills of a highly specialised kind were the subject of the fourth in Buckinghamshire Gardens Trust's series of Hartwell Seminars. Entitled 'Pineries and Pineapples', the seminar was prompted by Eric Throssell's research into the 1760 pinery at Hartwell. Speakers focused on both the cultural and the horticultural history of pineapple cultivation. I hadn't realised just how much time, energy, money and prestige was invested in growing a fruit that we walk past on the supermarket shelf without a thought. The seminar papers will be published in the Bucks GT series of Hartwell seminar booklets. http://www.bucksgardenstrust.org.uk/Welcome.html

Did you know that about 17.8% of the UK population are social housing tenants? That's about 8.5 million households. There's a significant number of gardens and a large amount of green space around these homes. Nicola Wheeler from Neighbourhoods Green gave a presentation to GreenLink on the work that is being done across the country to enable social landlords, their tenants and residents to improve the quality of the green spaces in their neighbourhoods. Do have a look at their website. http://www.neighbourhoodsgreen.org.uk/

Landscapes and Gardeners, old and new

2011-08-02T14:03:00.000-07:00

Just how tricky do you think it might be to curate, in a confined space, an exhibition capable of expressing the vastness of 'Capability' Brown's designed landscapes? One exhibition running this summer seems to have found a solution. You can see 'Capability Brown and the Landscapes of Middle England' at Compton Verney, the award-winning art gallery in Warwickshire where, in 1769, Brown started work on the grounds. The exhibition really came to life for me in the final, light-filled gallery that focuses on Brown's work at Compton Verney. How satisfying to be able view the plans on the wall while glancing through the open window at them in action on the ground.

Also at Compton Verney is 'Stanley Spencer and the English Garden'. This tranquil and thought-provoking exhibition re-awakened my interest in the artist and his work. Both exhibitions run until 2nd October. http://www.comptonverney.org.uk/ Fired with enthusiasm, I went straight off to see Spencer's monumental (but not garden-related) work in the tiny but glorious Sandham Memorial Chapel at Burghclere, in Hampshire. http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-sandhammemorialchapel If you haven't seen it, it is more than worth the detour from M4, Junction 13.

Buckinghamshire, Northamptonshire and Warwickshire are the 3 counties most affected by the proposed High Speed Rail Link. The AGT, together with The Georgian Group and The Garden History Society have responded jointly to the Government 2011 Consultation Paper. In support of the Garden Trusts in the affected counties, they particularly expressed their concerns about the impact on 3 18th century designed landscapes - Hartwell and Shardeloes in Buckinghamshire, and Stoneleigh in Warwickshire. The response of 3 national bodies representing 12.500 members can hardly be dismissed as 'nimbyism'.

'Love Parks Week' at Ashenbury Park

The most recently formed Gardens Trust, the Berkshire Gardens Trust, has come a long way in its first 3 years. Last week, it held its 3rd AGM at Watlington House in Reading, the site of just one of its Garden Projects. A print from 1820 shows Watlington House in a spacious plot and surrounded by fields. Today you will struggle to find it. Hidden away in a particularly busy part of Reading, its once leafy gardens are reduced to a gravel car park. But all that is set to change. With the support of the committee, Gaila Adair's design 'A garden for the future. A link to the Past' will slowly begin to take shape. The long (and still visible) history of the house stretches from the medieval almost to the present day. Its collection of air raid shelters, nestling against a wall in the car park, are a stark reminder of its miraculous survival. The new garden will not only provide a fitting setting for this gem of a building but will also be a tranquil retreat in which people can both relax and garden.

Another initiative that is making progress is the Trust's new award scheme. In common with all Gardens Trusts, Berkshire's main focus will always be historic gardens and landscapes, but it recognises the need to nurture the designers and gardeners of the future. How encouraging it was to see a pupil from a Berkshire infant school among those collecting an award.

'Love Parks Week' is over for another year. The small event we organised in our local park seems to have been a success. We spent July putting together a leaflet full of information about the history of the park in which we walk. Despite a manic distribution of flyers and notices to advertise the event, we thought we would be lucky to attract 50 people. What a surprise when 164 turned up! I'll be passing the figure on to GreenSpace. One of the most satisfying aspects of the morning was the many stories we heard from the people who came along. It could be a fascinating project to collect them together. My dog-walking friends are threatening to boycott the park if I try to involve them in anything else so I'd better keep quiet about that one.

June

2011-07-05T08:45:00.000-07:00

How much do you think the trees outside your office window are worth? How about the cherry at the bottom of your garden, or the ancient oaks in the grounds of your nearest National Trust property? How much do they add to your life in economic terms? Difficult question isn't it? I went along to Portcullis House earlier in the month for the launch of a report supported by The Woodland Trust entitled 'Why trees and woods matter'. ResPublica, the think-tank behind the report,believes that, if we are to persuade policymakers of the need to support the natural environment, we must be able to demonstrate its value in economic terms. Unless we do so, it argues, the green sector will struggle to compete for its share of resources.

Everyone invited to the launch was involved with woodland, landscapes, or gardens in one way or another. We didn't need convincing of their value. But perhaps we did need reminding that there are many people for whom the benefits of spending time in the natural world are not so obvious. An increasing number of studies are producing the very evidence of 'value' that the report suggests could help. Perhaps we will have to actively engage with this growing body of scientific proof if we are to ensure that historic parks and gardens are cherished for future generations?

My local Gardens Trust in Berkshire is doing its own bit of cherishing. Galia Adair, a Berkshire Gardens Trust committee member and Trustee of the Watlington House Trust is leading a design project to produce a garden for the oldest secular building in Reading - a house built in 1688 by Samuel Watlington, a successful Reading merchant. You can follow Galia's progress on Berks GT's recently updated website. ( http://www.berks-gardens-trust.org.uk/current-projects/watlington-house-project/ )

The Garden Museum organises several garden visits during the year. I went along to my first at the end of the month. 'Two Different Design Eyes' took a look at a contrasting pair of Gloucestershire gardens. Christine Facer Hoffman's science-inspired Througham Court and The Old Rectory, the garden belonging to Mary Keen. A thought-provoking, stimulating and very well organised day. http://www.gardenmuseum.org.uk/page/garden-visits

My fellow dog-walkers and I have registered a small event on the 'Love parks Week' website. We're collecting facts and figures about the park in which we walk and hope to 'wow'anyone who turns up on 30 July with what we've discovered. It's very much a landscape for our times. Its green and leafy undulations were until recently a landfill site, while its large lake started life as a gravel pit. Despite the devastation that this piece of land has suffered over the last 60 years, by some small miracle, a strip of ancient woodland has survived alongside. Landscape and social historians of the future will have a field day here.

Until we started to organise this event our group of 5 walkers (and 7 dogs) had never met up outside the park. Despite appearing to have little in common but our dogs, we've gone way beyond superficial chit-chat over the years. During our 40 minute walks we've all helped each other through life's small (and not so small!) crises. Walking and talking in the early morning light, somewhere green and peaceful - how do you put a price on that?

May

2011-05-30T03:29:00.000-07:00

There's a tremendous spirit of cooperation in the green sector at the moment. Gardeners have always been very generous with their ideas, knowledge, and plants, but would organisations have been quite so willing to join forces for the common good 5 or 10 years ago?

The latest meeting of GreenLINK brought together representatives of nearly 30 organisations. Five members reported on a recent meeting with government. The minister had found it refreshing that their focus was on community greenspace rather than on the needs of individual organisations.

The GreenLINK meetings are also a great opportunity to find out more about other organisations. The Federation of CIty Farms and Community Gardens for example, gave a short presentation that prompted me to have a look at their website http://www.farmgarden.org.uk/. I particularly liked the New Trends in Food Growing page.

The need to train the gardeners of the future and to provide more opportunities for those who have already embarked on their career were just 2 of the concerns aired when I joined the Chairmen of Devon and Cornwall Garden Trusts at the National Trust's Cornwall office at Lanhydrock. The meeting was organised by Adam Clarke (Opeing All the Gates www.creativeandculturallearning.co.uk/opening-all-the-gates). He's hoping to find ways in which the County Garden Trusts and the National Trust (NT) can work more closely together. He's starting in the south west and will see how things progress. The immediate and very positive result was that Devon GardensTrust now has a direct link with the NT. This should give them another opportunity to connect with possible candidates for their training bursary scheme, the details of which are on their website http://www.devongardenstrust.org.uk/.

The precis and conclusion of the Gardens Trusts' Working Together Feasibility Study should be available soon. I wonder whether anyone realised just how useful the preparatory joint meetings of the AGT, The Garden History Society, the Garden Museum and Parks and Gardens UK (PGDS) would be? Even before we read the final summary, all 4 organisations have a far better understanding of each other than could have been possible before.

On a slightly less positive note, I went along to one of the many Roadshow Consultations set up by the Department of Transport about the proposed route of the High Speed 2 rail link. If it goes ahead, this Y-shaped line will initially link London to Birmingham, slicing its way through Buckinghamshire as it goes. The information was slickly presented but, for those of us with an interest in historic designed landscapes, there wasn't enough detail to completely dispel any worries. I'm investigating further. You might like to do the same. The Chilterns AONB site provides useful links to the consultation dates and the many reports produced on the project.http://www.chilternsaonb.org/.

The 'Love Parks Week' took kit is available for downloading from the GreenSpace website. I've downloaded mine - that was the easy bit. Now I have to think of an idea for an event - not so easy. I'm hoping that my dog walking friends will have some bright ideas.

Rain in the south east at last...

April or August?

2011-05-03T13:50:00.000-07:00

How strange it's been to enjoy a summer-like sun while the birds are still singing their spring songs. I abandoned my parched garden and headed to Cowcross Street for the 2nd AGT management meeting of the year. It was good to hear from our Publicity Officer, Steffie Shields, that the Yearbook has been so well received, particularly by people who previously knew nothing about Garden Trusts. When someone asks about the Trusts it can be difficult to precis what we are about. The Yearbook gives a good flavour of the myriad of things that are going on. I've reserved a few copies to take to the next quarterly GreenLINK meeting.

The AGT signed up as a member of GreenLINK towards the end of last year. It's an organisation that brings together representatives from all kinds of green spaces - everything from historic gardens to urban parks, from wetlands to cemeteries and churchyards. We all agree that green spaces are vital for a healthy society. With so many cuts in funding, sharing information and speaking with one voice will help us all.

NorthCourt Manor

GreenLINK is hosted by GreenSpace. If you'd like to know more about it, have a look at their website http://www.green-space.org.uk/ and click on GreenLINK. You could also look at their link to 'Love Parks Week' - running from 23-31 July - when GreenSpace aim to get 1 million people out and into the parks. As 82% of our parks are working with a reduced budget, we need to show how much we value them.

Reading about it made me curious to find out more about my local park - a welcome expanse of green in a heavily populated suburb of Reading. Apparently, its wide open spaces were created from an old rubbish tip.There's a small area of woodland stretching along one side. According to the local district council website it's a patch of ancient woodland, coppiced to encourage wild flowers. It's been carpeted with them since the first primroses unfolded a couple of months ago. At the moment, I'm enjoying a mass of bluebells and stitchwort when I'm out with my dogs. I wonder how many people in the area even know that it's there?

I was working on the Isle of Wight during the hot weather and stayed at Northcourt Manor in Shorwell. Those of you who came to the AGM and conference in October will remember John and Christine Harrison's Jacobean Manor with its magical gardens which were brought to their picturesque peak in the 18th century by Elizabeth Bull. They look just as good in spring as they did last autumn. If you are on the Isle of Wight at the end of August, they're open on Sunday 28th for NGS. They also provide an excellent B&B for groups or individuals. This year's AGM and conference, 'Power Gardening,' will be hosted by Oxfordshire Gardens Trust, in Oxford, from 2-4 September.

Ponderings of a new Trustee

2011-04-18T08:43:00.000-07:00

'Gardens and gardening are good for us and good for society, so what can we do to make sure that everyone reaps the benefits?' That was the question debated last summer at one of the most inspiring garden-related conferences I've been to. Just a few months later I joined the Committee of Management of the AGT as a new Trustee and realised how much is already being done within the Gardens Trusts, both at national and at local level.

I'd like to use this 'blogspot' to tell you about life as an AGT Trustee - the people I'm meeting and the garden events I'm attending. I'd like to tell you about the community-related projects that I come across as the AGT representative at GreenLINK and at the events organised by the 'Opening all the Gates' project. But, I'd like to hear from you too.

One crucial point made at the inspirational conference was that people who most need the health giving properties of green space are those least likely to have access to it. Perhaps there's something going on in your community or county that is helping to improve the situation? Do you know of a project that is encouraging people to benefit from green space, gardens and gardening? Do let me know.

Now and then, I'll tell you about my experiments with the lunar calendar in my vegetable plot. Last year I reported my progress on the Berkshire Gardens Trust website and had some interesting feedback. A friend cut one half of his lawn according to the lunar calendar and cut the other half on his usual grass cutting day. He emailed me photographs - they looked just like the 'before' and 'after' hair restorer pics in Sunday supplements - thick and lustrous on one half but thin and patchy on the other. So, if you use the lunar calendar do get in touch. We might all learn something new.