Kent weekend
Events / 31st May 2024
Glorious weather greeted the 29 Kewites who arrived at Bedgebury Pinetum on Saturday morning. It was particularly good to welcome 5 current RBG Kew students. Dan Luscombe, Curator and collections manager was an enthusiastic tour leader taking the group off the beaten track to view rare and threatened conifers from many parts of the world. We were taken into the nursery and viewed the seed storage facility while Dan explained how work to protect endangered species is carried out in conjunction with local botanic gardens and other organisations such as the International Conifer Conservation Programne.
“Please pass on our thanks and appreciation of the very informative and entertaining guided tour given by Mr.Edward Barham yesterday.
Our members also enjoyed the opportunity to speak with Head gardener Quentin who patiently dealt with many questions.
Everyone was very impressed by the wonderful gardens and enjoyed the tasty food and welcome given by the catering staff.
Thank you all for such a wonderful visit and guided tour.
Sunday proved to be another fine weather day as our group arrived to a friendly welcome from Hole Park gardens catering staff. This private estate provides tea/coffee and cake as part of the private tour conducted by owner Edward Barham with his head gardener Quentin.
A mixtuure of formal and informal gardens link with an orchard, wild flower meadow, water features and woodland where an entertaining chainsaw sculpture on a dead pine depicts 3 bears climbing up to a honeycomb.
A leisurely lunch was enjoyed in the sunshine of the courtyard where more chatting and reminiscing took place.
A full acount of this weekend will appear in next year's Kew Guild Journal.
Pamela Holt, May 2024.
Hole Park Gardens: https://www.holepark.com/
Bedgebury Pinetum: https://www.forestryengland.uk/bedgebury
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