The Gentian - Ness Botanic Gardens

Free to Friends of
Ness Gardens
NESS, NESTON
CHESHIRE CH64 4AY
T 0845 030 4063
Email [email protected]
Website www.nessgardens.org.uk
The Gentian
REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER 511294
The Newsletter for the Friends of Ness Gardens
ISSUE 232 SUMMER 2013
£1
Headline News
Contents
ISSUE 232 SUMMER 2013
Headline News ............................................................................................... 1
Josiah Hope remembered ............................................... 2-3
Wildlife Week .................................................................................................... 4
Try Our New Tree Trail ................................................................ 5
Friends’ News ........................................................................................... 6-9
Alpine Trough Makeover ............................................. 10-11
Meet your Gardening Favourites! .......................... 12
Gardening Tips - Andy Lambie ................................... 13
A New Book for Ness ................................................................ 14
Wildlife at Ness ............................................................................ 15-17
What’s On ............................................................................................ 18-19
Editorial Board: Helen Watters, Kevin Reid,
Fiona Harrison, Tracey Crich.
Design: Big Drum Communications. Printed on
recycled paper by The Printroom UK, Liverpool.
Cover picture: Agastache ‘Golden Jubilee’
The Friends of Ness Gardens is a registered
charity No 511294. Views expressed in this
publication are not necessarily those of Ness
Botanic Gardens or the Friends of Ness
Gardens.
Material for the next issue should reach the
editor by 19 October 2013. Email
[email protected]
University of Liverpool,
Ness Botanic Gardens
Tel 0845 030 4063
Website: www.nessgardens.org.uk
Email: [email protected]
Gardeners’ Question Time returns!
Have you got your ticket yet?
Welcome!
A
The cold, wet Spring finally passed and we
have been able to get out into our gardens
and enjoy some warm, sunny days.
At Ness, May saw the children searching out
signs of small creatures and creepy crawlies
through the Wildlife half-term week activities
- you can read more about these inhabitants
of Ness Gardens in our centre pages.
We have also seen a steady number of
people joining the Friends especially as
Families – Welcome to you all! Don’t forget,
as a member you can enter the Gardens
after 5pm and enjoy the special evening light
– see the Friends section of the website for
information on access.
You may be aware that some changes are
in progress at the Gardens. Ness, like all
University Botanic Gardens, is facing difficult
times due to changes in Higher Education
funding, compounded by the economic
difficulties all outdoor visitor attractions
are experiencing due to a combination of
the recession and the poor weather. More
information is provided with this issue of The
Gentian.
Sadly we said goodbye to Curator Paul Cook
at the end of June - with many thanks for
his constant support of the Friends and
enthusiasm for what we do for the Gardens.
We wish him all good fortune in whatever
comes next. The Summer season is well
underway and the Gardens are looking
wonderful – so do come along and enjoy all
Ness has to offer!
Fiona Harrison
Eric Robson
fter the brilliant triumph of last year, Ness
Gardens is delighted to welcome back the BBC
Radio 4 Gardener’s Question Time Summer
Garden Party! It was Radio 4’s biggest outdoor audience
event and last year brought 2,000 guests to Ness. This
year we are hoping for an even bigger turnout and we’d
like to invite you to come and join in with the fun!
EVEN if you are not hugely into the radio show
you will love what we have on offer. Expect to
see big names
including Bob
Flowerdew, Eric
Robson, Matthew
Biggs and
Pippa
Greenwood
and
welcome
new faces
l-r: Anju Chandna, Claire Lara,
Yasmin Limbert, Malcolm Williams, such as James
Rachel Saunders
Wong.
Bob Flowerdew
going to make it all happen for
them!
The popular Plant Hunters’ Fair
and related stalls will also grace
our lawns so you can get going
straight away with
your newly-acquired
Pippa Greenwood
knowledge on what
to grow in your
garden and our own trusty team of
volunteers will be giving guided Garden
tours once again.
This unmissable event is on Saturday
7th September from 10am-6pm.
Tickets are £8.50 (no concessions)
and are available now at Ness
Gardens or via the website www.nessgardens.
org.uk. Meeting the GQT Celebrities - see p12!
Matt Biggs
Both our own
Ness expert gardeners and those from GQT
will also be on hand to provide demonstrations
and give personal advice on your gardening
dilemmas. Come and see cookery
demonstrations from Claire Lara,
Masterchef winner 2010; Anju
Chandna, North Indian cuisine
specialist;Yasmin Limbert of BBC
Great British Bake Off fame; and
Malcolm Williams, local artisan
baker. All will be using produce
grown at Ness
this year. They are
pictured (above)
with Rachel
Saunders, our
gardener who is
One of the many entertainments which thrilled last year’s audience
James Wong
Summer 2013
1
100 years ago at Ness...
The debt Ness owes to the
incomparable Josiah Hope
O
ver the years, the various Directors, Curators and Head Gardeners have
all left their mark on Ness Gardens and made it what we see today. This
year marks a century since the start of Josiah Hope’s involvement in 1913.
This account is adapted from one written by former Director Ken Hulme
following the death, in December 1970, of Josiah Hope, the original Head
Gardener. He was in his 96th year.
BORN at Acomb, York in 1875,
Josiah Hope started work at
the age of 13 at the famous
Backhouse’s Nursery, considered in
those days as a training ground for
potential head gardeners. Shortly
before his 18th birthday he moved
to gain further experience at the
University of Cambridge Botanical
Garden where he stayed for about
three years (1893 -1896) before
returning to Backhouse’s Nursery.
for the development of Ness Gardens.
Josiah Hope reached retirement age in
1939 but the outbreak of World War
II resulted in his remaining in post. A K
Bulley died in 1942 and for the duration of
the war Josiah Hope had one gardener to
help. In his role as Head Gardener, Josiah
Hope was expected to possess complete
knowledge of the cultivation of plants
and his achievements were an example
to many of his contemporaries. The list
of notable horticulturalists of the time
who visited Ness in the inter-war years
was a testament of the esteem in which
his workmanship was held. The collection
of rock garden plants was particularly
outstanding and widely admired.
At the end of the war the gardens at
Ness were in a sadly neglected stated. But
undeterred, Josiah Hope started with a
staff of four to rehabilitate the wilderness
which had begun to encroach in all areas.
In 1948, Miss Agnes Lois Bulley presented
the Gardens to the University of Liverpool;
Josiah Hope continued as Head Gardener
until 1956, aged 81! His involvement in
the Gardens did not end with his formal
l-r: A K Bulley, Miss Matthews, Bill Cottrell (Josiah Hope’s
assistant) and Josiah Hope, circa 1932
retirement and he continued to participate
during the Directorships of James Duncan
and Ken Hulme.
Sir Isaac Bayley Balfour recognised the
importance of Josiah Hope’s work in
Edinburgh and Primula hopeana was named
in his honour; since reclassified it is now
known as Primula ioessa var. hopeana.
In 1948 he was made an Associate of
Honour of the Royal Horticultural Society.
In 1962 the University of Liverpool agreed
that the Rock Garden at Ness should in
future be known as the Josiah Hope Rock
Garden. To mark his 90th birthday the
Friends of Ness Gardens paid for a plaque
which can still be seen in the Rock Garden.
Josiah Hope in the greenhouse
From 1896 to 1908, Josiah worked on
a number of estates including Elvedon
Hall and Kenton Hall near Henley and Sir
Edmund Loder’s garden at Leonardslee,
Sussex. In 1908, he joined the staff at the
Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh to take
charge of the herbaceous section. It was
here that he gained first hand experience
with the plants collected in Yunnan by
George Forrest. A significant part of
Josiah Hope’s professional life was to be
devoted to raising and cultivating the plant
introductions of a number of important
plant hunters of the period including
Forrest and F Kingdon Ward; these two
were launched on their careers as plant
collectors by Ness Gardens’ founder, A K
Bulley. In 1913, Bulley required a new head
gardener who would convert the previous
market nursery (Bees Seeds having
moved to Sealand, Chester in 1912) into
ornamental gardens, planted with many
of the new plant introductions of Forrest
and Ward. On the recommendation of Sir
Isaac Bayley Balfour, then Director of RBG
Edinburgh, Josiah Hope was appointed.
The 30-year association between A K
Bulley and Josiah Hope proved notable
Josiah Hope and Ken Hulme with Lois Bulley and the gardeners of Ness
2
The Gentian
Summer 2013
3
Wildlife Week!
THE May halfterm week
offered a great
opportunity
to introduce
youngsters to the
wildlife on their
doorsteps.
The Wildlife Family Game Trail took families
around the Gardens on a self-guided trail
searching out signs of activity by small
creatures ie. trails from badger and fox as
well as checking out the contents of a barn
owl pellet to find out what it had eaten!
Wildlife expert, Rob Rhys Bond, led intrepid
explorers on an Interactive Wildlife Trek.
He was in role play as an ecologist showing
families various creatures and plants around
the Gardens.
Environmentalist Dr Richard Osmond,
brought is Hi-Tech Wild Trek mobile field
ecology trailer to the Gardens to help
visitors spy into the microscopic world of
Tree Trail Tim Baxter, Maria Knowles
Take the trail around our lovely trees
pond creatures
and mini-beasts.
Using video
equipment and
microscopes
and computers,
children were
able to capture
images of their discoveries
Meanwhile in the Hulme Room, a range
of Wildlife Craft Activities were enjoyed.
Children made origami flowers and minibeasts. Rose Froud entertained with her
Bee in Bonnet interactive show about the
importance of pollinators.
For what’s coming up next, keep a look out
on the Ness Gardens website.
NESS Gardens is proud to announce the
publication of the Tree Trail. The Trail is a selfguided walk around the main part of the
gardens and looks at a selection of 22 trees
of interest.
Ness has one of the most interesting
collections of trees and shrubs in the
country and the Trail answers the numerous
questions about what plants we have and
where they grow.
The Tree Trail has been a work in progress
for over a year and the final version is now
available to both Friends and general visitors
alike. Pick up your copy from the Visitors
Centre and enjoy!
Following the interest the Trail has created,
we will be running a series of guided walks
about trees at
the Gardens
during the
summer and
autumn. The
walks will only
be available to
members of
the Friends of
Ness Gardens
and spaces
are limited.
Dates are to
be announced nearer the time
so keep an eye on the website and in the
Visitors Centre. Thank you to the Friends
for their continued support and to the
many volunteers who helped to test the
Trail while it was being developed.
Friends Plant Sales Day 6th May 2013
THE weather was sunny and bright (a welcome change from last year!) and the shrubs and
plants for sale set out in the herb garden looked attractive and interesting.
Dovecote Nurseries have been staunch
supporters for many years whilst
gardeners Peter Foley, Paddy Christian,
the Poterills, Station House and the Alpine
Garden Society all brought diversity and
expert knowledge to the day.
That we raised around £1,300 was due to
all of you who arrived that day and bought
plants and who helped set up and then
enthusiastically sold the large number of
plants donated by kind Friends. Thank you
very, very much and I’m look forward to
seeing you on May 5th next year!
Olwen McLaughlin
4
The Gentian
Summer 2013
5
Friends News
O
n 12 May Friends
of Ness Gardens
volunteers once again
represented Ness at the
Secret Gardens of
Oxton.
This annual one-day
event, which was
awarded the 2013
Wirral Tourism Event
of the Year, has
attracted over 40,000
visitors during its
13 years and raised
around £231,000 for
small local charities.
Garden visitors given
special incentive to
pay Ness a visit
this summer
WHAT makes Oxton’s Secret Gardens
different from other open-garden schemes is
that there is no selection process. The 20 to
30 gardens offered each year by their owners
are always accepted.
The result is liked by visitors – the chance to
see what ordinary gardeners can achieve in
spaces that vary from the tiny to the
large, with styles from the informal
to the formal, simple to elaborate.
Although it focuses on gardens
the event includes a substantial
community fete with refreshments in
gardens, music and entertainments,
local arts and crafts, activities for
children, shops, restaurants and pubs.
The Secret Gardens’ visitors mainly
come from Merseyside, Cheshire and
North Wales and more than half have
not visited Ness in the last five years
– if at all. The Friends’ volunteers at
the Ness Gardens stand were raising
the profile of Ness by providing
literature, horticultural advice and,
new this year, distributing 50% off
Ness entry vouchers.
Disappointing wet weather had a
major impact on Secret Gardens’
visitor numbers this year, yet over
800 vouchers were distributed.
Ness will be monitoring the uptake of
this offer and its impact on Friends’
memberships.
6
The Gentian
Visit until dusk
THE Gardens are looking absolutely lovely... and
as members of the Friends you can enjoy them
throughout the summer long after the day visitors
have left. Membership allows you access to the
Gardens after the usual closing time. Just use the
gate from the tarmac carpark alongside the Visitor
Centre to come in. The gate is opened at 5pm for
the exclusive use of Friends of Ness Gardens, and
you can stay until dusk. The Gardens are patrolled
by security staff, so do have your membership card
on you to show if asked.
Thank you for your patience...
THE implementation of
new systems is never easy
so why should it be any
different for the Friends of
Ness Gardens, especially
when you are trying to do several things at
the same time?!?
As previously reported in The Gentian, the
Society transferred over from its long-standing
Dataease to Raisers Edge system. We started
rolling out the new permanent-style membership
cards; re-introduced a Family subscription and...
carelessly lost our Administrator to Jodrell Bank.
Therefore, whilst the new system is working
well there have been some administrative delays
which we are working our way through. Any
concerns with regards to your membership
please contact [email protected].
...and welcome to Natalie!
WE are delighted to welcome Natalie Wharton
as the Gardens’ new Membership and Finance
Administrator. She started on 1 July. Natalie
joins us from Wirral Borough Council,
specifically Irby Library. A fuller profile will be
in the next issue of The Gentian.
A Living Legacy
Help secure the future of Ness Botanic
Gardens...
When you are thinking about making a
will, please conside leaving a legacy to the
Friends of Ness Gardens, to help secure
the long-term future of this lovely place
with a gift which will continue to grow.
If you would like to
learn more about
Ness Gardens, and
how a legacy may
be used, please call
0845 030 4063 and
ask to speak to Kevin
Reid.
All discussions will be
totally confidential.
Summer 2013
7
Friends News
Key outcomes from the
Society’s AGM
Rescheduled from January, the Society’s AGM for
the reporting period to 31 July 2012 took place
on 21 April 2013 and was attended by 87 Friends.
•The change to the style and format of the
Annual Report with summarised accounts was
noted and accepted by the meeting.
•The wide range of marketing activities
undertaken by the Committee was detailed
including the support of A Taste of Ness and
Making Waves gardens;
•Subscription rates had remained static for a
further year but the reintroduction of two
Family categories had come into place on 1
February 2013;
•The Society allocated £267,538 of subscription
and grant income to the Gardens reducing down
the level of unrestricted funds which it had
retained to 31 July 2011;
•The Society had 7,511 Members (7,397 the
previous reporting period) which is 4,528
memberships (4,452 previously);
•The proposal to change the year end of the
Society was discussed. There was no consensus
from the AGM but subsequently the Committee
agreed to a 31 October reporting year end;
•The proposal to appoint a President was
discussed with an agreement that there was no
requirement for the Society at the moment but
to be reviewed at a future date;
•Honorary memberships were conferred on
Keith Cade and Barry Fowler.
Following the business of the AGM there
was a presentation by the Director of the
Gardens followed by a Q&A session. Copies
of the Minutes of the AGM are available
on the website and by request from the
Secretary at [email protected] or
[email protected]
Farewell to Paul Cook - a man of vision
and a superb ambassador for Ness
IT is with sadness that we bid farewell to our
Curator Paul Cook, who left the Ness team at
the end of June.
RHS Tatton Park Show. We acknowledge with
gratitude all he has achieved for Ness and wish
him well for the future.
Kevin Reid
During his 11 years at Ness Paul improved the
structural form of the Garden, not least in the
controversial felling of selected trees
to open up the stunning vistas which
are so characteristic of Ness both past
and present.
Paul’s keen eye for colour combined
with gift in the architectural use of
plants and trees within natural and
sculptural planting schemes and
borders built upon the work of his
predecessors Peter Cunnington and
Ken Hulme.
The rebuilt Terraces are just the latest
example of the legacy of this work to
enhance the Gardens and improve
access for visitors with a new rich
planting scheme that compliments the
scale, topography and yet intimacy of
the setting.
Paul’s contribution to Ness has
spread far beyond the Garden gate
through his commitment to sharing
his knowledge and enthusiasm with
his team, volunteers and Friends and
others - and not least in the education
of the next generation including
serving on board of the Botanic
Gardens Education Network and
PlantNet.
Yew Tree House, Hankelow, CW3 0JB
5 miles south of Nantwich on the A529
www.specialperennials.com
01270 811443
8
The Gentian
Paul has been a superb ambassador
for Ness, helping to raise the profile
of the Gardens both locally through
his numerous talks and tours, and
on the national stage by leading his
team to a coveted Gold Medal at the
Summer 2013
9
The Alpine Troughs of the Potager Kasia Babel
Kasia’s lovely little plants bear close inspection
K
Allium narcisifolium
asia Babel, who was previously at Birmingham
Botanic Gardens, has been at Ness for a year
under the Historic and Botanic Gardens Bursary
Scheme, with part funding from the Friends of
Ness Gardens. One of her projects at Ness
has been to plan and carry through a new alpine
planting scheme for the lovely sandstone troughs
in the Potager.
“MY recent project was concerned with restoration of the alpine
troughs which have been neglected over the past year. I could not
resist the opportunity to expand my knowledge about this particular
type of plant.
Troughs stripped and ready for planting
The first stage was to decide on
the main features. Following a
consultation with Curator Paul
Cook I chose to focus on the
amazing variety of alpine plants
and their habitats - and also on
George Forrest, a plant hunter who
is closely associated with the history
of Ness Botanic Gardens.
The most simple
definition of alpine
plants is that
they are plants
growing beyond
or about tree line.
Because of the
harsh environment
they grow in (low
temperatures,
Rhodanthemum
catananche
short growing season, dryness)
alpine plants are characterized by
their small size and slow growth.
A plant like Salix reticulata (above,
right) is one of the many examples
of adaptation to
the alpine climate.
Furthermore, it
also shows how
closely related
plants can vary
in size to survive
in the ecological
niche in which
they grow.
Salix reticulata... a willow perfectly adapted to living above the clouds
the danger that
a European
man faced at
this time in
this part of
world. Above
all, it was a time
of incredible
changes in
horticulture
and the
I am sure that
introduction
June 2013 - planted to perfection
for most visitors
of new plants,
seeing a willow
made
possible
plant not exceeding more than a
largely
because
of
the
contribution
few centimetres height will be a
of people like G. Forrest. I hope
surprise!
that his endeavours can capture the
George Forrest was a plant hunter
imagination of young people and
who collected seeds of alpine and
encourage their interest in plants.
herbaceous plants for A.K. Bulley
I would like to express my gratitude
between 1904 and 1912. His trips
to the Alpine Garden Society,
to China are fascinating and show
Wirral and West Cheshire group,
especially to: Liz Carter, Peter
Cunnington and Christine and Mike
Brow for their help with organising
plants suitable for this project,
and for their advice. I would like
to use this opportunity to say to
everybody at Ness Botanic Gardens
- thank you for all the energy you
put into teaching me and also for
giving me the opportunity to work
in such a wonderful place! And a
special thank you for Derek for his
English lessons! “
Trachelium asperuloides
Summer 2013 11
A word to the wise (who’d like to get wiser!)
FRIENDS who are planning to
take a course at Ness during
the late summer / autumn, may
welcome knowing that the current
season’s What’s On booklet for
Ness has flown off the Visitor
Centre shelves.
While an updated guide is being
planned, it would be sensible for
Friends who are planning to brush up on any
areas of their gardening know-how to get their
place safely booked!
The courses are listed at the back of this issue of
The Gentian and topics include gardening basics,
botany, propagation, fungi foraging (always very
popular), planning for colour, gathering seed,
soil types, composting, photography - and much
more.
A chance to chat with your gardening favourites!
WHO would you like to meet from the
GQT presenters - and why?
Tell us in 150 words or less, and you might be
chosen to have your own get together with
a selection of the team at this year’s GQT
Summer Garden Party.
Share a coffee break or show them your
favourite part of the Gardens - it’s up to you!
Send your submission to the Ness Team at
[email protected] by 16 August 2013.
In memoriam
JEFF IRONS, who died April 2013, was a loyal and diligent volunteer at Ness for many years till
his death. He came regularly to the gardens to help run the seed lists for both the International
Botanic Gardens’ seed exchange and the Friends’ seed list and contributed many very unusual
species from his own garden. He was also heavily involved with the Half-Hardy Plant Society and
the Australasian Plant Society.
MICHAEL IDDON (May 1949 – 27 April 2013) was a member of the gardening staff at Ness for
much of his working life beginning around 1972 and leaving in the 1990s. He started knowing
nothing about plants and developed such an extensive knowledge that he was able to serve as
Chairman of both the Heswall and Irby Horticultural Societies for many years. He was universally
recognised as someone who would be helpful to anyone.
JAMES CULLEN who died 11 May 2013, was appointed Assistant Director of Ness under Ken
Hulme in 1965 and left in 1972 to become Assistant Regius Keeper (effectively Deputy Director)
of the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh. In 1993 he became Director of the Stanley Smith Trust
which awards grants in support of horticultural initiatives, including in recent years students
working at Ness.
12 The Gentian
Getting the most from your garden
Andy Lambie
Keep on top of the weeds... but let
most of the watering take care of itself
Things to do now...
• Keep mowing lawns regularly to about 1.5
inches (40mm). Don’t cut grass too short or
you will weaken
it - and leave your
grass box off until
September.
• The only plants
that definitely
need watering
are those in
containers,
hanging baskets
and any that have
been recently
planted or sown. If in doubt, dig
a hole about three inches (80mm) deep - if the
soil is damp to the touch it’s fine.
• You don’t need to top up ponds, it is normal
for water levels to drop in the summer! If you
can’t cope with lower water levels use collected
rain water - tap water - is too rich in nitrates.
• Now is a good time to plant autumn
flowering bulbs such as autumn
crocuses, Colchicum, Sternbergia, and
Nerines.
... And some jobs for the autumn
• Scarify, aerate and top dress lawns.
• Divide congested clumps of herbaceous
perennials. However, resist the urge to cut
back perennials - the stems and seed heads are
important for wildlife over the winter (besides
many are decorative - much better than an
empty border!).
• Net ponds and clear up leaves from paths,
driveways, lawns and low growing plants. Leaves
can be left in borders as mulch.
• Dismantle hanging baskets and summer
containers; non-diseased plants can go in the
compost bins, compost can be put on borders
or used in the top dressing for the lawn.
• Plant spring flowering bulbs, if there is no
where obvious in the beds and borders,
plant some in pots.
• In September, sow vegetables
for overwintering, for example
turnip, spinach, winter lettuce,
Oriental vegetables to mature
and be harvested next spring.
• Start saving seed for sowing in
the autumn or next spring.
• From the end of the month, you
could have a go at taking semi ripe
cuttings.
• Finish pruning spring flowering shrubs and start
pruning trained fruit and gooseberries.
• Don’t forget about the weeds! Remove
the roots of perennials weeds and mulch
areas as you finish weeding.
• Do your bit for bees and butterflies; check
that there is something in flower from January
through to November. If not, what could you
plant in the autumn?
• Prepare new areas for planting.
Tree and shrub planting season begins
on the 23rd of November, marked by
National Tree Week.
• Clean out nest boxes and fill up bird
feeders.
• Don’t forget about the weeds!
Nerine
bowdenii
Andy Lambie
Summer 2013 13
Wildlife at Ness Tim Baxter and Phil Putwain
A new book for Ness Hugh McAllister
H
ugh McAllister, one-time Botanist at Ness Botanic
Gardens, has spent over 30 years researching birches.
This life’s work has now been published. Hugh comments...
‘MUCH credit must
be given to Ness
Gardens, to its
past directors and
current horticultural
staff, for providing
an almost perfect
situation for me, a
taxonomist with a
particular interest
Betula utilis spp. utilis ‘DarkNess’
in trees, to study
two particular
genera in great detail here at Ness. The direct
result of this ‘Ness opportunity’, as I have always
considered it, has been the publication of two
significant monographs by Kew Publishing: The
Genus Sorbus: Mountain Ash and other Rowans
in 2005 and now, this May, The Genus Betula: a
taxonomic revision of birches. For the second one
Ness Gardens worked very closely with Stone
Lane Gardens, Chagford, Devon, a specialist birch
and alder arboretum created by the late Kenneth
Ashburner, co-author of The Genus Betula.
themselves with patterns of variation of species
in the wild when what they are looking for is a
very attractive space-worthy tree for their own
garden.
And yet surely this is precisely what many Friends
and visitors to Ness, particularly those who
have a deep interest in plants and gardening,
appreciate above all else: the chance to see
through all the changing seasons of the year
interesting, unusual, sometimes very rare species
of trees and other plants against the beautiful
backdrop of the Dee estuary and the hills of
North Wales. Some might also become common
garden trees of the future, several Ness trees
already having lost many twigs to nurserymen
who select desirable specimens for grafting, for
instance the Butanese B. utilis ‘Dark-Ness’, above
‘The Gully’ on the way down to the railway.
‘So, while not recommending my own book,
please let me urge you to take a look at the
copy made available to visitors to the shop, flick
through to see all the photographs of birches
growing at Ness and the botanical plates by
‘Let me be the first person to say that I am not
Josephine Hague, painted from specimens
recommending
entirely taken from
either monograph
the Gardens, and
as a ‘must read’
then go out and
to the Friends of
see for yourselves
Ness Gardens
the living birches,
and the readers of
particularly in
The Gentian. Both
January and
of these books
February when
which have come
you can see against
out of work done
clear winter skies
here at Ness are
the expanding
serious taxonomic
catkins on the
studies and the
leafless branches
majority of keen
Devon book signing: June Ashburner (Kenneth Ashburner’s widow),
of the birches and
Hugh McAllister, Keith Rushforth (behind), Paul Bartlett (Manager
gardeners have no
the closely related
Stone Lane Gardens)
cause to concern
alders.’
14 The Gentian
Ness is an amazing place for its wildlife.
Across the 64 acres, the range of habitats
brings a wealth of birds, butterflies, bees
and mammals into the Gardens. This article looks
at some of the highlights, and introduces the WilderNess project.
T
he status of Ness as a local
gardens is an important feeding site
biodiversity hotspot is in part
for many birds and insects. Ness
due to its close proximity to the
has some spectacular dragonflies
nationally important wetlands of
and numerous species of damselfly
Burton Marshes. Much of Cheshire
that live in the ponds. These ponds
and Wirral are also intensively
are fantastic places for amphibians
farmed, which on the whole provide
including very healthy frog and toad
Flowering beetle Oedemera
less suitable habitats for wildlife than
populations. These help to eat the
nobilis on oxeye daisy
more extensively managed farms.
vast numbers of slugs and snails
Ness by contrast has a patchwork
on site, even though we have no
of habitats which makes it highly attractive for
problem growing Hostas! Ness is also thought to
wildlife. The mixture of both young and old
have the Great Crested Newt, although this has
plantings of herbaceous, shrubs and trees that
not been confirmed in recent
are found in both the formal inner gardens
years. Open water is also an
and informal outer areas ensures there is an
important feeding habitat for
abundance of shelter
many species of bat and in
and food all year
particular the Daubenton’s. This
round for wildlife.
species has the amazing feeding
The sheer variety of
habit of flying about 5cm above Damselfly
plants to be found at
the surface of the water to eat
Ness is also a great
midges and other biting nasties.
contributor to the
Ness has a few good areas of mature woodland,
diversity of wildlife
with the Spinney and Pine Wood giving many
found in the gardens.
opportunities for nesting birds and roosting
One of the most
bats. Ness operates a bird nest box scheme of
interesting features
about 40 boxes. Wirral is not an area containing
in the Gardens is the
many of the nest box specialist species, so the
The Water Gardens
bare soil and exposed
boxes are mostly used by Blue and Great Tits.
geology in
Tree-roosting bats have
the Heather Garden. Solitary bees
been recorded from Ness
use this bare soil as their home and
including the Brown Longburrow into the path to raise their
eared bat.
eggs. Leaving patches of bare soil in
In the main part of the
south-facing sites can attract similar
Gardens, there are some
bees in your own garden.
fantastic areas for wildlife that
The Spinney
Open water found around the
could easily be replicated
Summer 2013 15
Membership
Wildlife at Ness... update...
at home. As Ness is an
all-year-round garden,
many plants attractive
to wildlife can be found
in flower here during
the winter. Of particular
merit are Hamamelis spp.,
Mahonia x media ‘Charity’,
Sarcococca hookeriana and
winter-flowering heathers
such as Erica carnea. In
years such as this, the long
Phlomis russeliana
cold winter has been awful
for many overwintering
insects, with bees in particular being hit hard.
Plants such as Phlomis russeliana, Sedum spp., and
Monarda ‘Violet Queen’ are much loved by bees
when in flower but also provide places to hide
in winter. Rather than being tidied up in autumn
these can be left to provide seeds for resident
birds and shelter for overwintering insects.
The most notable displays in early spring are
the snowdrops and hellebores found in the Pine
Wood and Woodland Garden, both of which are
bee pollinated and important sources of nectar
for newly emerging queen bees. Mass displays of
R. sutchuenense, R. yunnanense, R. decorum, and R.
rubiginosum in the Pine Wood signal spring is in
full season and provide a great source of nectar
and pollen.
Some of the most important habitats for
summer interest are the herbaceous areas which
have a range of plant types. Here a great range
of pollinator
friendly plants
can be found
such as Allium
cristophii,
Geranium (top)
and Echinacea
(left)
16 The Gentian
A. ‘Gladiator’, Echinacea
purpurea, Veronicastrum
virginicum, Echinops
bannaticus ‘Taplow Blue’,
Rudbeckia fulgida, Inula
hookeri, Aster spp., and
Geranium spp.
Ness has one of the
largest collections
of woody members
of the Rose family
(Rosaceae). The flowers
of Rosaceae are bee
pollinated and Cotoneasters in particular are
much loved by bees as well as other insects.
Long-tailed tit
Some of the best Cotoneasters to grow include
C. conspicuous (Heather Garden), C. splendens
(top field), and C. ogisui (Rhododendron Border).
The dense and low-growing habit of many
cotoneasters is also great nesting habitat for
many birds, especially blackbirds and dunnocks.
In autumn, the fruits of many Rosaceae, especially
Sorbus and Cotoneaster, are enjoyed by birds
and can provide an almost continuous supply of
food from July through to January. Some of the
best to grow are Sorbus decora (bottom field), S.
filipes, S. pseudovilmorinii and S. carmesina (Pine
Wood).
The large numbers of birches (Betula spp.) in
the Gardens are favoured by herbivorous insects,
especially the caterpillars of many species of
moth. These are a vital food source for many
species of breeding bird and small mammals.
The Wilder-Ness project
A
t Ness Gardens the outer areas are
now managed specifically for wildlife,
under the Wilder-Ness project. The sheer
scale, aspect and wild feel of these outer
areas is unique in a botanic garden in the UK.
They contain the most important botanical
collections at Ness and offer something
special to anyone who gets to know them.
The Wilder-Ness project has three aims.
• Firstly to manage the area for the benefit
of wildlife through best practices of habitat
management. For example, certain small
areas will be left as bramble cover for
nesting birds and small mammals and will
be cut on rotation across the area.
• Secondly to manage and promote
the internationally important botanic
collections in the area. Many taxa of plant
of botanical significance grow in this area
but regular maintenance, development
and scientific use is needed in order to
maintain their significance.
• The third aim is to use the area
for education and to interpret
what we are doing and why.
The Wilder-Ness project started in
2008 when the wildflower meadow
was created. A mix of annual and
perennial seed was sown giving the
first year a WOW! factor. This has
now developed into a perennial meadow
with a mix of wildflowers and
grasses providing many good
habitats. One of the most
important is the extensive
areas of tussock grasses
which provide overwintering
Harvest mouse habitat for insects and nest
nest at Ness
sites for small mammals
including
a healthy
population of
harvest mice.
Barn owls and
the resident
pair of kestrels
use these areas
extensively for
feeding. The
introduction of Hay Rattle, Rhinanthus minor,
has helped reduce competitive grasses in the
main meadow.
In the most sheltered areas
towards the bottom of
the slope, plants such as
thistles, willowherb and
spring-flowering willows
provide an abundance of
food for the many butterflies and bees in
the area. A group of dedicated volunteers
regularly record numbers of butterflies and
bees throughout
the year. One
species of note
is the Five-spot
Burnet Moth,
Zygaena lonicerae,
which is a day-flying
moth. Its presence
is a sign of a healthy
meadow.
The Friends have agreed a fund to help the
management of this area which will help
this botanical and wildlife gem of Ness to
continue. Many thanks
to all the volunteers,
staff and Friends who
help to keep it on the
Ness radar.
Burnet moth
Summer 2013 17
What’s On at Ness
Tuesday 30 July 10am-4pm
Children’s Funday! Most activities free.
Usual admission charges to the Gardens apply.
Pony rides, Falconry display, Crèche, Crafts,
Family Trail, Story time, Circus tricks.
Friday 2 August 7.30pm and Sunday 4 August
2pm Off the Ground Youth Theatre
Company presents: Comedy of Errors.
Adults £12, senior citizens £7, under 21s £5.
See website for details.
Saturday 14 September 9.30-4pm
Camera Confidence. Art in the Garden
photography course. To book contact AIG
07800 847 729.
Sunday 15 September 10am-5pm
Bulley’s Free Entry Heritage Day. The
Gardens’ founder Arthur Bulley shared his
beautiful garden freely with his neighbours and
friends. That heritage is celebrated on this special
day, when entry to the Gardens is absolutely free
to EVERYONE.
Tuesday 6 August (10am-12.30pm)
Plants that bite back! Discover the fascinating
Thursday 19 September
world of plants that trap and eat prey. Friends
Discover Gardening. An introduction to all
of Ness Gardens £8, £10 nonthe basics of gardening.
members.
10-weekly sessions:
COURSES KEY
Mornings 9.30am-12noon
Saturday 10 August 10am-1pm
OR Evenings 6.30-9pm; £55
Green = One Day Courses
Summer Propagation.
Friends of Ness Gardens,
Purple = Longer Courses
Learn how to propagate plants
£60 non-members.
For booking courses and
(including taking cuttings from
events, call Ness on 0845 030
plants in the Gardens). £10
Sunday 22 September
4063 unless otherwise stated.
Friends of Ness Gardens, £12
9.30am-4.30pm
For further information see
non-members.
Edible Mushroom
the website:
Hunting Day. This hugely
www.nessgardens.org.uk
Tuesday 3 September 10ampopular course is back
12.30pm
again this year! £45, no
Essential Gardening Jobs
concessions, includes lunch.
for the Autumn
£8 Friends of Ness Gardens, £10 non-members.
Sunday 22 September 2.30pm-4pm
Friends of Ness Gardens Sunday Lecture.
Saturday 7 September 10amA Treasury of Plants: Tim Baxter, Maria Knowles,
6pm
Philip Putwain & Andrew Lambie. Full details
The return of BBC Radio
on our website nearer the time. FREE. (Usual
4 Gardeners’ Question
admission charges to the Gardens apply).
Time and Summer
Garden Party. If you missed
Thursday 26 September 1pm-3.30pm
it last year, make sure you don’t
Botany for Gardeners. 6 weekly sessions.
miss it again – get your tickets before they sell
Plants are remarkable, yet many gardeners know
out! See our website for details. Tickets £8.50.
very little about how they work. This course
looks at some of the science that underlies many
Saturday 14 September 10am-1pm
familiar gardening practices and explains the
Composting. Everything you need to know
complex processes of plant growth, functions,
for successful home composting. £10 Friends of
adaptation, responses, and reproduction in simple
Ness Gardens, £12 non-members.
language. £45 Friends of Ness Gardens, £50 non
-members.
18 The Gentian
Sunday 29 September 12noon-4pm
Wedding Fair. Meet local suppliers and talk
to the wedding team at Ness. Access to the
Gardens is free for prospective couples. Entry to
fair FREE.
Tuesday 1 October 10am-12.30pm
Planting for Year Round Colour. Autumn is
the best time for planting, so learn how to create
fabulous colour in your garden next year. £8
Friends of Ness Gardens, £10 non-members.
Sunday 6 October 2.30pm-4pm
Friends of Ness Gardens Sunday Lecture.
Fletcher Moss Gardens: its history and plants:
John Steedman (former curator). FREE.
Saturday 12th October 10am-1pm
Secrets to a Good Looking Lawn. Find out
the secrets that turf scientists and golf course
managers use. £10 Friends of Ness Gardens,
£12 non-members.
Saturday 19 October – Sunday 27
October 10am-4pm
Half-term Halloween Pumpkin
Trail. 50p to follow the trail. Usual
admission charges to the Gardens.
Sunday 20 October 2.30pm-4pm.
Friends of Ness Gardens Sunday
Lecture. Alfred Russel Wallace: the mind in the
Jungle: Robert Callow (former lecturer in Botany at
Manchester University) explores the contribution
of the co-discoverer with Charles Darwin of the
Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection. FREE.
Friday 1 November 9.30-4pm
Ness Autumn Garden Photography. Art
in the Garden photography course. To book
contact AIG 07800 847729.
Sunday 3 November 2.30pm-4pm
Friends of Ness Gardens Sunday Lecture.
Gardening and Wildlife Fifty Years after ‘Silent
Spring’: Stuart Bailey (former lecturer in zoology at
Manchester University) looks at the aftermath of
the book that heralded the start of the modern
wildlife conservation movement. FREE.
Tuesday 5 November 10am-12.30pm
Harvesting and Sowing of Seed. The
complete guide to growing plants from seed. £8
Friends of Ness Gardens, £10 non-members.
Thursday 7 November 6-10pm
Star Party. An evening of talks, telescopes and
viewing the night sky, presented by the Liverpool
Astronomical Society. £10 includes soup & roll.
Saturday 9 November 2-4pm.
Leonard Broadbent Memorial Lecture.
Training for International Conservation: Leigh
Morris (Director of Horticulture, Royal Botanic
Gardens Edinburgh). Raising the horticultural
capacity of botanical gardens. Tickets £3.
Thursday 14 November 1pm-3.30pm
Soils: An Introduction for Gardeners. 6
weekly sessions Understanding what soil is and
how it works is fundamental to a successful
garden. This course looks at how to identify the
sort of soil you have and how to look after the
amazing ecosystem beneath our feet.
Healthy soil is the first step to growing
healthy plants. £45 Friends of Ness
Gardens, £50 non-members.
Sunday 17 November 2.30pm-4pm
Friends of Ness Gardens Sunday
Lecture.
Gardens and Gardening in Madeira: John Tallis
(former lecturer in botany at Manchester University).
FREE.
Sunday 1 December 2.30pm-4pm
Friends of Ness Gardens Sunday Lecture.
The Geology of Wirral: Maggie Williams (School
of Environmental Sciences, Liverpool University).
FREE.
Tuesday 3 December 10am-12.30pm
Essential Gardening Jobs for the Winter.
£8 Friends of Ness Gardens, £10 non-members
Saturday 14 December – Sunday 15 December
10am-4pm
Christmas Weekend! Father Christmas and
Christmas crafts.
Summer 2013 19
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A SPECIAL INVITATION TO THE
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“The Late Night Garden Kitchen”
We look forward to welcoming you to Ness Botanic Gardens
on the first Wednesday Evening of every month to enjoy this
exclusive dinner event.
You will have the opportunity to dine from a delicious threecourse choice menu, choose wines from our recommended list
and benefit from good company whilst sat at tables laid with crisp
white linen and tea lights.
3 Courses with Coffee only £19.75 per person
Reservations necessary, to book call: 0161 273 3469 and
ask for Ella who will be delighted to assist you.
20 The Gentian