The Gardens in November
November heralds the winter season and there’s a bracing nip in the air, so why not wrap up warm and go for a vigorous walk around the gardens and arboretum.Even in the cold, there is a stark beauty about the landscape and the garden bones are laid bare for you to enjoy.At this time of year you can take advantage of our reduced entry fees to the gardens. While away some time in the shop in preparation for Christmas, or enjoy a delicious meal in the gardens restaurant.
Current ongoing work in the gardens includes: preparation for winter work such as completion of the sunken garden, cutting back the borders in the walled garden and elsewhere, pruning and shaping of evergreen shrubs, sorting out the displays in the glasshouses, completing cuttings of glasshouse stock and outside tender perennials, mass bulb planting and wildflower plug planting in the gardens and arboretum, lawn renovation plus over sowing and the grand annual leaf clean up (all composted, please note).
As the days shorten and the weather becomes colder it’s pertinent to look inside the vegetable cold frame in the walled garden and note the varieties of salad leaves that continue to thrive under these conditions. With careful selection crops can be grown here all year providing useful ideas for you to copy in your own garden.Note that the changing season into autumn doesn’t stop us continuing to sow a smaller but still tasty range of edible leaves and herbs appropriate for this time of year.
Over the winter months day-to-day maintenance activity within the kitchen garden ceases as we get on with the general garden maintenance that winter dictates but there is still plenty to see.Some crops have been cleared and patches of green manure are springing up in their place protecting the ground over winter.It’s always worth a visit to this part of the garden as the scene changes throughout the year.
In November the gardeners work their way through all the mixed borders in the gardens cutting back the perennials and providing room to attend to the espaliered fruit trees, roses and climbers at the back.In time these will be cut back and trained ready for the New Year. By viewing all this activity visitors have a chance to understand the work involved in producing spectacular summer border displays.
St Roche’s arboretum is definitely worth a visit as there are stunning views from the top of the downs along the Lavant valley.The arboretum is always worth a look especially as it involves good healthy exercise by walking there too; allow about an hour for a steady paced walk around the circuit walk which starts in front of the College and finishes by returning to the gardens shop.This really is a wonderfully tranquil place to visit and if you last visited in summer then a winter walk is a must and a real contrast.Please note that the arboretum may be closed on Saturdays and Tuesdays until early February for other activities.
The Gardens Restaurant provides a welcoming haven for morning and afternoon tea or lunch.If you are still looking for a gift for a friend or family member at Christmas, why not make them a Friend of West Dean, there is so much enjoyment in seeing a garden change through the seasons, plus all the other benefits of being a Friend.Speak to the Gardens Shop staff for more details or click here for the Friends page.
