The Garden Diaries 

By Belvoir Head Gardener – Tom Webster 

2nd February 2021

As my Father used to boldly declare, “Spring is here and the sap is rising!”  You may say I’m a little premature but the snowdrops are quietly testing the air and my hazel has a marvelous show of catkins, so any winter pruning needs to be done in a hurry.  We have a new orchard here, planted a year ago, and the pruning at this stage is crucial to the future shape of the trees.  Fortunately, it’s all done, but I’m still working on the neglected ancient trees from the old orchard, recently liberated along with the clearing of the old canal and Westminster pond. This is a longer job, but you’d be surprised at the wildlife you see whilst balancing at the top of an apple tree; I dare say they are even more surprised to see me there, or maybe I just fit right in. As I write, the stalwart Mr. Peacock, our head groundsman, is clearing the pathways for our snowdrop trail.

The adventure continues…

Tom Webster

Head Gardener                                            

Volunteer with our Head Gardener Tom 

Volunteer at Belvoir and enjoy being part of our lovely team.  An opportunity to share and learn new skills and be part of a diverse Estate. As a volunteer at Belvoir you can also enjoy staff benefits such as Friends of Belvoir Membership and priority tickets to our events. If this is of interest, we would be delighted to hear from you.  Please contact [email protected]