The National Trust revealed that the formal series of box-hedged triangular beds, which were planted with annual bedding plants and bulbs, had been struggling under the pressures of cold winds, drought, and increasingly extreme weather conditions.
The conservation charity stated that the current planting scheme was becoming unsustainable, necessitating frequent irrigation and the regular replacement of plants.
To address these issues, a landscape architect team was appointed to develop a more sustainable, climate-resilient, and biodiverse planting scheme.
Tom Fradd, head gardener at Wimpole Estate, said: “Wimpole is recognised for its leading climate change initiatives and sustainable estate management projects.
“We now need to create a garden that can withstand significant temperature changes, where there’s less need for watering and replacing plants and, therefore, a lower carbon footprint.
“The newly designed parterre will also be less susceptible to pests and disease, improve the condition of the soil and reduce the stress from the extreme weather conditions that are becoming more prevalent in East Anglia with the changing climate.”
Andy Jasper, National Trust director of gardens and parklands, added: “When the National Trust took on the care of Wimpole, the parterre had been lost for several decades.
“The scheme we have today was created in the 1990s to replicate what had been there in the 19th century.
Work on the parterre was expected to continue over the next two years, involving collaboration with prominent garden designers and horticulturists.
Wimpole Estate, which has been lived on and farmed for more than 2,000 years, features a mansion, parklands, and a rare breed farm.
[From the Royston Crow of October 3, 2023]
Comments are closed.