Winter Preparations

Our gates may be shut for winter, but it’s a hive of activity behind the scenes as we prepare Borde Hill Garden for the colder weather.

Some of the larger plants in the Garden, including the banana plant and Gunnera (Giant Rhubarb) located in Round Dell are not frost hardy. Unlike our dahlias and cannas they cannot be lifted and taken indoors, so we wrap up these plants before frosts get too severe.

Preparing the Banana Plant for winter

Under the watchful eye of Head Gardener Andy, we cut down the banana plant foliage to approximately 3’. We then erect a fence of chestnut paling around the plant and fill it up with loose straw to the height of the stalks. Wooden boards are placed on top to keep the straw dry and retain temperature. This stays in place until early spring when the risk of frost has passed. 

How we protect the Gunnera

We cut off the old leaves and stalks and place the cut leaves over the crown of the plant to keep it warm. The leaves are removed in early spring when the risk of frost is no more. 

See how our 20 year old banana plant and gunnera have survived the winter. Borde Hill Garden is open daily between 23 March and 3 November 2013 inclusive. Opening times are 10am to 6pm or dusk if earlier, with last admission one hour before closing. For more information, call 01444 450326.

Top 3 outdoor things to do in Sussex during the Summer Holidays

With the School Holidays in Sussex underway and the kids in need of entertaining, here are the top 3 outdoor things to do to keep them amused. The bonus being the living room stays tidy!

The activities have been inspired by Borde Hill Garden in West Sussex, who are running a Summer Holiday Quiz through to 9^thSeptember 2012 with fantastic prizes to be won. 

1. Make a bark rubbing 

The colour and pattern of bark can help you identify a tree. Make a record of your own; grab some paper, wax crayons or chalk and find yourself a tree. Place the paper on the bark and rub the crayon or chalk lengthwise across the paper. Create a textured picture by rubbing a different coloured crayon or chalk across the same piece of paper held at a different angle each time.

2. Calculate the age of a tree 

Locate a tree stump – there’s plenty in the woodland at Borde Hill Garden or in the Adventure Playground. You’ll see there are rings running around the inside. You can count the number of rings to work out the age of the tree. Remember that most trees produce two rings per year, a light ring in the Spring and a darker one in Summer. The oak tree on the South Lawn of Borde Hill House is approximately 200 years old!

3. Find out who's Champion 

There are 82 Champion Trees in the grounds of Borde Hill, making this one of the largest UK private estate collections. The Tree Register of the British Isles has over 150,000 Champion Trees registered on it. Only the tallest or those with the widest girth make it on to this database, which aims to record and preserve rare, unusual and historically significant trees in the UK countryside. Let’s find the Champion in your group! With the Adventure Playground as the assault course, see who’s the quickest at balancing on the beams or sliding down the pole. And the winner is……!!!

 Borde Hill Garden in West Sussex is open every day from 10am to 6pm and is located  1½ miles north of Haywards Heath, just off the A272 and 20 minutes from Brighton and Crawley.

To find out more about the Summer Holiday quiz (running daily to 9^th September) and the prizes to be won, visit www.bordehill.co.uk/quiz. Or call 01444 450326.