A new year, another lockdown, but its not all doom and gloom. There’s plenty of stuff to be excited about in the gardens, including a new water feature we recently had installed. I was tasked by the main donor of the water fountain project, Professor Jennifer Green, Emeritus Fellow and St Hugh’s Custos Hortulorum, with... Continue Reading →
I would imagine it’s a difficult time for all gardeners across the University during the Covid-19 lockdown, as Spring is always the busiest and most rewarding time of year. It has also been very strange to be communicating with the team remotely, and I would like to thank them for the work they have been... Continue Reading →
At the time of writing the UK is still feeling the effects of storms Ciara and Dennis, as well as unusually mild winter. Luckily for us at St Hugh’s, we encountered minimal damage to the grounds, with only small twigs falling from our many trees. This is largely due to the health and safety work... Continue Reading →
Compared to this time last year, the grounds are looking much greener, thanks to a few good downpours. Late last year, we began the big task of renovating our herbaceous border. We lifted the tired shrubs that didn’t belong in a herbaceous border and lifted every plant, splitting healthy growth off some Iris and... Continue Reading →
Although winter can be a challenging season for gardeners, it can also be the most rewarding. It is a season of preparation and planning for the year ahead and definitely not to be overlooked. Roses and trees need pruning. Beds and borders receive a blanket of mulch which feeds plants, helps to suppress weeds and... Continue Reading →
It’s that time of year again when the trees have turned spectacular colours. The Rubra maples on the China Centre driveway have turned a vivid red and so many of our trees are interesting talking points whilst we are conducting garden tours. I would like to talk about some of my favourites during this blog.... Continue Reading →
We seem to have gone from one extreme to the other this year, first freezing cold and now blistering heat in which we are struggling to keep things watered. After going down to two men for several months I am pleased to welcome Steven Hobson in to the gardens department, he has already proven to... Continue Reading →
It feels like it’s been a long winter and hopefully this will be the last of the snow as I’m writing this blog. The College bulbs have had an especially rough time as they have surfaced only to be greeted by snow. Mike has finished reinventing the herb bed and both the Bursar and Principal... Continue Reading →
We have had a busy autumn in the garden department and it’s hard to believe I have been at St Hugh’s for almost a year. Since my last blog we have welcomed Mike Hawkins into the garden team. Mike has already proven to be an excellent addition and has started to undertake his NVQ level... Continue Reading →
As I write this blog with the rain pouring down it’s hard to remember that summer is happening at all! The lawns have greened up and it has been a struggle to keep up with the mowing between the downpours. John’s bedding has performed particularly well with all this rain; those tiny love-lies-bleeding (Amaranths) that... Continue Reading →
Hugh's Horticulture 