Test 2 – Staffordshire Centre

Shugborough Update – December 2023

We have recently received an update from Shugborough on what is happening with the donation made by our members this year. The Touch and See tactile book for the mansion is being organised by Partnerships & Participation Manager Arry Cain. She is working directly with the RNIB. They have identified the content that will bring the journey through the mansion alive and are in the process of writing and editing the narrative and sourcing the high-resolution images which will be used to create the book. The aim is to have the book created for the reopening of the Mansion in the Spring.
Work on the Yew Garden is progressing well and Marc Brown, the Apprentice Gardener at Shugborough who is managing this project, has given a detailed update.
The old herbaceous long border in the formal gardens was tired and no longer suitable for the challenges of climate change. It was initially called the Yew Garden but as the design came together, it has been re-named the Serenity Garden, and a garden is being created that will benefit visitors across all seasons.

The idea behind the Serenity Garden is to have a space that has dual use. In the spring and summer the garden will be awash with white flowers and luxurious green foliage, a perfect calm and cooling space to be surrounded and hugged by nature. In the Autumn and winter, when the garden will mainly be viewed from the path, a decadent display of winter colour will be on offer.
In order to achieve this, the old bed has been dug over and three new beds have been created, two around the urns and one around the Sweet Chestnut. The benefit of these locations is that the beds will protect the urns, highlight them as a focal point and create a root protection zone around the chestnut.
In the urn beds Cornus and Camellia have been planted together with a wide variety of bulbs, including Nerine, Gladioli and Alliums, all with white flowers which will bloom in succession throughout the season.
On order but yet to arrive, are Hydrangeas, Choisyas and Vinca. The Vinca will be used as ground cover whilst also providing small white flowers from spring to early autumn. Lastly, an orange toned Willow will be planted, which will be pollarded at 1.5m every year to get a magnificent spray of golden orange stems shooting out and above the shrubs below.
The bed surrounding the Sweet Chestnut, has been planted with Cyclamen which will be added to with some single and double Snowdrops.
A small grove of Birch trees has been planted between the beds to create a relaxing space to sit in the warmer months but also as a celebration of colourful bark in the winter.

The trees have all been planted in pairs so that as they mature they will fuse together to create one multi-stemmed tree. The colours of the bark range from purple to red, and pink to creamy apricot. To complete this show of winter colour we will also be adding an Acer griseum as specimen tree, sited just to the fore of the Birch grove.
The garden will have flowers from January until November, winter colour will come from the leaves, stems and bark, meaning that at whatever time off year the garden is viewed, there will be interest and a place to stop and appreciate the wonder of nature.
The remaining plants should be on site by early next year and the final planting completed in early spring. The beds will then be mulched with a layer of wood chip to supress weeds and to conserve moisture in the soil for summer.
Marc Brown – Apprentice Gardener, National Trust Shugborough Estate
“On a personal note, I would like to thank the Staffordshire Centre for its donation and support for this project. As an Apprentice Gardener this project has provided me with a learning opportunity like no other and I will be eternally grateful. I feel I can honestly say that because of this support you have made me a better student and ultimately a more skilled gardener. Thank you.”

Plant List: Click here to see the plant list.