Winter tree inspections

Over the last few days the tree team at Bedgebury have been carrying out tree safety inspections around the Pinetum. These inspections are carried out in what we call "high profile areas", and we monitor the trees for things like dead wood in the crowns, posible decay, trees blow over in the wind and hung up branches. Once these inspections are completed the work is prioritised and carried out accordingly to ensure the trees are kept in good health and the public in a safe enviroment. Written by Kevin Cooper of the Bedgebury Tree Team.

Seeds Arrive

Autumn is a busy time in the nursery, now is the perfect time for taking semi-ripe cuttings of conifers and it also the time to be collecting seed. We have had our first batch in this year from a joint expedition between Wakehurst Place and our sister collection Westonbirt Arboretum to Japan. We are eagerlly awaiting seeds from Californina, Lebanon and the high mountains of El Salvador. These will all be grown on in the nursery for a few years before being planted out in the collection.

Autumn Views

The weather this week has been over cast and grey but the autumn colour is still looking amazing and the colours really stand out amoungst the conifers. The top picture is the view across Marshalls lake (from e12) looking at the fantastic stand of Swamp Cypress and Dawn Redwoods, the Swamp Cypress are turning there lovely rusty brown and soon the Dawn Redwoods will start to turn a tawny pinky brown. These are unusual as the are deciduous conifers!

The next 3 photos are taken on G11, G12. H11, H12 there are a number of Acer species growing amoungst the Fir and Cedar trees and is looking at its best right now.

Berries

There are lots of lovely berries to look at around the Pinetum providing the local wildlife with food over the coming months a few to look out for are (top to bottom) Sorbus maderensis H9(critically endangered from Madeira), Sorbus commixta I8 (Japan, Sakhalin and Korea) and the golden fruited yew Taxus baccata 'Lutea' I14

Pseudolarix amabilis

Most conifers are evergreen like Pines, Spruce, Fir and the dreaded Leylandii a few however are deciduous and they have fantastic autumn colour one of our favourites is the Golden Larch Pseudolarix amabilis from Eastern China where it is endangered due to logging and land being cleared for agriculture and housing. In December Dan was lucky enough to go to Tianmu Shan one of the few remaining area where it grows "wild" (bottom picture). In China it can reach over 50m tall with a dead straight trunk, howere in the UK it is usually only seen as a small tiered tree. The grass green needles start to turn around the middle of October to a beautiful golden yellow (top picture) before falling to the ground a few weeks later. We have two good specimens planted in 1950 these can be found in I11.