Head Gardener’s notes: January 2026
First published 9th Apr, 2026By Ben Barker, Head Gardener
January has been a busy month for the gardening team. A lot of what we do in the winter forms the basis for the summer flower displays – especially on our 150 metre long herbaceous border.
One of the first jobs of the calendar year is to cut back all the herbaceous stems and ornamental grasses on the borders and island beds. Having acted as habitat for insects and wildlife through the bulk of winter, cutting back the old stems will allow new growth to poke through ahead of spring, and shows any gaps which need to be replanted.
We’ve also been coppicing hazel from our designated copse in the north of the park, where we select stems of a certain age and size to cut each year. Those stems are then used as plant supports and frameworks on the beds and borders for the taller plants, or ones which may be prone to flopping over. This is traditionally known as pea-sticking.
Unfortunately large parts of the box hedge around the Blackfriar’s Friary planting succumbed to the Box Tree Caterpillar last summer, and with treatment ineffective the decision was taken to remove it this month. We’ll begin replanting with Yew in the coming weeks.
Meanwhile, our fantastic gardening volunteers have tackled deadheading hydrangeas and clearing up in the camellia collection.
Look out for: Hamamelis
The stunning scented witch hazel Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Diane’ on the border alongside the Visitor Centre.
