PUBLIC PLACES Getting Personal
Edward Watchorn - he’s started so he’ll finish ... at some point!
Who are you? Edward Watchorn - Senior Gardener for English Heritage at Brodsworth Hall.
Family status? Married for two years, together for twelve.
Who’s your hero and why?
Both my grandads, for their happy outlook on life, despite what they went through during the war years and the time they devoted to teach me so many practical skills.
What would you change about yourself? Be more decisive (I think).
What’s your guilty pleasure? Cereal, at any time of the day.
What’s been the highlight of your career so far? Working in so many beautiful places.
What are your pet peeves? Wonky hedges.
Gunneras, a tropical favourite of Churchill, protected over winter by their own cut leaves
If you could go anywhere right now, where would it be? New Zealand, we still haven’t been there on our honeymoon yet.
What’s the best part of your job? The variety of the work and knowing that so many people get to enjoy the results.
… and the worst? Thorns!
What’s your favourite sport? Mountaineering in some remote location.
Which three albums would you take to a desert island?
The Black Keys - Magic Potion, Nick Mulvey - First Mind, Hocus Pocus - 73 touches.
If you won the lottery, what is the first thing you would do? Go travelling.
What would you consign to Room 101 and why? Over packaged items, eg. you just don’t need bananas to be in a bag.
Which three people, living or dead, would you invite to a dinner party? Leonardo da Vinci, Bill Bailey, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.
110 PC August/September 2020
Do you have any bad habits? Starting new projects before finishing others first.
... or any good ones? Getting up early.
Do you go to bed worrying about the next day's workload? Not anymore, now that I’m not on-call 24/7 for emergency tree work.
What is your favourite film? Anything by Wes Anderson or Taika Waititi, they’re all a bit bonkers.
What’s the best advice you have ever been given? The worst thing you can do is nothing.
What's your favourite smell? Freshly clipped box hedging.
What do you do in your spare time? Mountain biking, rock climbing, camping with friends, thinking about my next project at home in the garden (before I’ve finished the last one).
What’s the daftest work- related question you have ever been asked? Can you put that branch back on the tree again?
What’s your favourite piece of kit? Stihl battery hedge trimmer or my homemade lawn levelling lute.
What three words would you use to describe yourself? Hard-working, logical, positive.
What talent would you like to have? To be able to play the piano better.
Aucuba blight Looking down the replanted Target Range © Dan Hale
contractors, it’s done! We are looking into bringing in apprentices for next year.” Brodsworth has a regionally based H&S officer and everyone on the gardening team has the appropriate skills and training for first aid.
Machinery and equipment
Machinery is sourced, usually locally from either PTE in Doncaster for small kit, or Marr based Farmstar for the bigger kit. “They are so helpful” Edward tells me “and literally just up the road; so convenient and handy for any breakdowns!”
New pieces of kit that have made the job better have been the new Hayter mowers. “The grass collection is far superior to the previous model” says Edward. “The motorised tillers are a great asset too; very handy between shrubs, cutting down on hand weeding!”
One big piece of kit that has made a real difference to the composting at Brodsworth is the SEKO SAM 5 PTO compost maker, purchased in 2013. This towable unit, PTO driven from a tractor, will chop and shred twigs, small branches, leaves, grass, etc. and discharge from a conveyer for composting. Servicing of machinery is carried out by the two local dealers or in-house if possible. “What’s on the wish list?” I ask. “Two things” is the response. “Our own mini digger please and a drip system for watering!”
Pests and diseases
There does not seem to be any real problems with animals, birds, etc. but there have been disease issues with Aucuba Blight. I saw evidence of this in the yard (see photo) where removed bushes with foliage blackened by the blight had
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132
