Arduaine Gardens long running Shelterbelt renewal project reached an important milestone on the 25th of October 2022, when the last of 1035 Larch trees was removed. The project has been going on now for 5 years to comply with a Statutory Plant Health Notice, issued by the Forestry Commission after the destructive plant pathogen Phytophthora ramorum was discovered and confirmed in the gardens Larch trees. It has been a considerable challenge to remove these trees without damaging Arduaine’s collection of Rhododendron sp, and other exotic shrubs which were planted beneath, and most of the trees have been dismantled and carefully lowered using rigging techniques by trained and experienced NTS arborists from Mar Lodge, garden staff and external contractors, which has been a time consuming and laborious process.
A consequence of removing a large part of the gardens wind protection has been vulnerability to damage from strong winds and storms as seen below. In early 2022 a series of storms blew over 28 mature non-Larch trees and many shrubs causing significant damage. Assessment of the remaining non-Larch trees concluded that there was significant risk of further wind instability, and the garden has been closed until a secondary phase of the shelterbelt project to remove a further 54 mature hardwoods, pines and spruce has been carried out. This is now well underway and is expected to be completed by March 2023 which will allow the garden to re-open in April 2023 and replanting to begin.
While work continues the secondary project, garden staff are carrying out ground clearance following on from felling operations to move timber and burn Larch branches. Inaccessible timber is being left in situ or cut into smaller logs to allow stacking for habitat piles. Non- Larch branches are being chipped to add to the thin, poor Arduaine soils. This work will continue throughout 2023 to allow replanting work to begin in October.
As the felling stages of the Shelterbelt Project are coming to an end, planning is underway for replanting and developing the garden. Much of what was the woodland garden will be replanted again with trees and shrubs but this time with an emphasis on species diversity so that the impact of new diseases will hopefully be less damaging for the gardens collection. New material will be provided by RBGE, specialist nurseries and from other trust properties to replant botanically interesting, new specimens to strengthen our collection and replace losses due to storm damage.
As the felling stages of the Shelterbelt Project are coming to an end, planning is underway for replanting and developing the garden. Much of what was the woodland garden will be replanted again with trees and shrubs but this time with an emphasis on species diversity so that the impact of new diseases will hopefully be less damaging for the gardens collection. New material will be provided by RBGE, specialist nurseries and from other trust properties to replant botanically interesting, new specimens to strengthen our collection and replace losses due to storm damage.
When the garden re-opens in April, frequent visitors to the garden will no doubt be shocked by how it looks now. The removal of so many mature Larch had a huge impact on the garden, but the remaining trees and large shrubs lessened that impact. With losses and extensive damage caused by storms and the secondary project to remove potentially unstable trees, the woodland garden is no longer a woodland and will be a decade at least before it begins to become one again.
It has been a difficult and often demoralising task to carry out this work and garden staff are now looking forward to replanting and the rebuilding phases of the project. This will be the last update with pictures of fallen trees and felling. Arduaine Garden is entering a new phase of exciting and intensive redevelopment with significant investment from the NTS and private donors. If you would like to contribute, you can do so by contacting [email protected] .
Gregor Anderson
It has been a difficult and often demoralising task to carry out this work and garden staff are now looking forward to replanting and the rebuilding phases of the project. This will be the last update with pictures of fallen trees and felling. Arduaine Garden is entering a new phase of exciting and intensive redevelopment with significant investment from the NTS and private donors. If you would like to contribute, you can do so by contacting [email protected] .
Gregor Anderson
RSS Feed
