PUBLIC PLACES


Little if anything is wasted at Wakehurst. Everything is recycled, grass cuttings and green matter pass to composting


”


in dry spells. “Yes, we have to drip feed it round the base to keep the tree watered adequately.” Abstraction of up to 20m3


a day


for irrigation is allowed from the main lake - replete with carp, pike and eels. “A water bowser is hired for further needs.” Little if anything is wasted at Wakehurst. “Everything is recycled,” says Chris, “grass cuttings and green matter pass to composting.” We climb into a utility vehicle and he takes us to the site - an order of magnitude larger than I’d imagined and cut into the slope. “Temperatures reach 70O


educational tool. Older foreign students are treated to tours of the facility throughout the year. We’re still in the utility vehicle and tootling along the main drag - a winding metal- edged resin-bound path recently laid. Chris shows us evidence of Wakehurst’s dedication to encouraging wildflower populations


C in there,” Chris


reveals. “Hot enough to bake potatoes.” Huge mounds are sifted into three large rows of material then further refined into heaps that are wrapped and left for three months before being assembled into manageable batches. “All wood waste is screened and used for footpaths, and dry matter is applied across the site to a depth of two to three inches,” Chris explains. “Fine acidic mulch from Ashdown Forest comes in to supplement our supply every so often and we’re currently seeking PAS 100 accreditation.” The composting function is also deemed important enough to function as an


We flail cut the areas of bracken twice a year, first in July to 2in height, then later in autumn, after which it slowly dies back


” 114 PC August/September 2018


Originally farmland, the Coronation meadows are rich in wildflowers, some harvested for their seeds. Springtime work includes scarification before sowing, flowering and haymaking. “Hebridean sheep, brought in from Ashdown Forest, graze the meadows in winter, while Riggit Galloway rare breed cattle graze in summer. We have a separate 35-acre farm in the middle of the estate and some of our hay also goes there.” Bloomer Valley meadow is brimming with orchids in season, a valuable food source for butterflies. “It was hand sown and plug planted to achieve the stunning effect,” Chris explains. “Then the meadow’s cut for hay later in July.” “We flail cut the areas of bracken twice a


year, first in July to 2in height, then later in autumn, after which it slowly dies back.”


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