Autumn at Bedgebury

The leaves are starting to turn as Autumn puts on its beautiful display in the National Pinetum over the next few weeks.

Conifers provide a perfect green backdrop for the spectacular autumn colour. Look out for the bumper crop of berries and cones. The cold winter and lack of spring frost has resulted in a 'mast' year (contrary to popular belief, an abundance of berries doesn't necessarily mean a hard winter to come). While natural regeneration happens all the time, we generally get the best results if we propagate from collected seed, as we carefully document its origin and ensure wherever possible that we use seeds from different locations and habitats in order to create a broad gene pool.

Late summer

11th June

The superb spring continues into early summer. The late flowering Rhododendrons are starting to tail off, but the baton has been picked up by many others trying to outdo each other. Starting on the bank opposite the visitor centre, you cant fail to miss the deep purple red of the Smoke Bush (Cotinus ‘Grace). Just up behind them are a small group of Cornus kousa (Japanese Strawberry Tree) covered in white flowers (some pinky). Also look out for them in Autumn as they turn a fantastic rich crimson. If we are lucky they might fruit as well, producing strawberry-like fruit (hence the common name). These were only planted in 2006 - there are some slightly older specimens also covered in flower on the left-hand side of the big Leyland hedge.



Carrying on down Dallimore Valley on the bank to the right of the Leyland hedge (just by the turning towards Marshalls Lake) there are three Horse Chestnuts in flower (Aesculus x dallimorei). These are the first plants I grafted (back in 2003). The original plant material came from a grafted tree in Kent prior to 1956, but it is the name that's of particular interest - it's named in honour of William Dallimore, the first curator of the Pinetum. He laid out the original collection in 1925. Dallimore was also the first arborist at Kew Gardens and has written some very important books on pruning, conifers and hollies (and had a valley named after him at Bedgebury!). There is also a recently cultivar of Ash named by Kew Fraxinus ‘William Dallimore - a selection with fantastic deep purple Autumn colour. We have a small example on the top of the bank opposite the visitor centre.

Carry on around Marshalls lake passing the last of the Rhododendrons in flower over the bridge. Around to the right along the edge of the stream are the Mountain Laurel (Kalmia latifolia) from eastern North America. Clusters of pink flowers are covering the plants at the moment. Before they are fully open they look like iced gems.

The native plants are doing equally well. The last of the bluebells have now gone and it is the turn of the orchids to take centre stage. Odd spikes of pink/white and purple can be seen in the longer grass areas around the site. These are the Common Spotted Orchid (Dactylorhiza fuscsii), named for the spots on the leaves. If you take a close look at the spikes you can see the are made up of many tiny beautiful flowers. If you are really lucky you might spot a Bee Orchid (Ophrys apifera). In and around the ponds the Yellow Iris (Iris pseudacorus) are also looking really good.

Bedgebury in Bloom

Thursday 14th May 2009


The National Pinetum team is dedicated but small. We are therefore very grateful to the Friends of Bedgebury volunteers who do stirling work every second Sunday of the month between September and May. If you are interested in helping give Friends Secretary Malcolm Dove a call on 01580 879842.



Bedgebury Friends volunteers clearing Rhododendron ponticum. Why? Because it's in danger of smothering important specimens in the collection and clearing it releases space for other plantings.


The Glory Hole - stunning display by the Rhododendrons

The spruce has got his hat on

A young Picea likiangensis cone

Newly-formed female Larix laricina cone

Heavily-scented Rhododendron luteum

Rhododendron luteum in flower

Following on from the success of my Chilean blog, I have decided to continue blogging, so that I can keep you informed of all the exciting things to see around the year at Bedgebury. The National Pinetum is not just a world-class conifer collection - there are many hidden gems and surprises at Bedgebury. I will use this blog to point you in their direction.

Cones

When people think of conifers the first things that spring to mind are Leyland Cypress, Christmas trees or uniformly green and non-flowering trees. However, at this time of year, they produce cones in many shapes, sizes and colours. I would like to point out some of the best of these young cones and hopefully change your mind. Check out the Tamarack larches (Larix laracina) on the bank across the lake from the visitor centre. There is a small group planted in the last few years that even at this early age a producing their beautiful small burgundy-coloured cones (the inspiration for the Bedgebury logo and corporate colour scheme).



As you walk down Dallimore valley from the visitor centre talk a few minutes to cross over to the Spruce (Picea sp) bank over to the right. At the moment many of the trees are laden with young cones varying in colour from pink and red through to purple and blue, depending on their species.

Young Douglas fir cones

The Douglas Firs (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca) at the far end of the Leyland cypress hedge are covered in pinky red hedgehog-like cones. Keep an eye out for the various Fir Trees (Abies sp) around the Pinetum. Many are loaded with candle-shaped cones in various colours.

Abies cones

Blossom

Last winter temperatures dropped as low as minus 14 degrees centigrade (we have censors all round the Pinetum which automatically record temperatures every fifteen minutes). Despite this, we are witnessing some of the best blossom ever this spring and early summer, in particular the cherries, flowering crab apples and rhododendrons. The later flowering Rhododendrons around Marshalls Lake are well worth a look.

Some of my personal favourites at the moment are the Horse Chesnuts or Conker trees (Japanese horse chestnut Aesculus turbinata, red horse chestnut Aesculus x carnea, sweet buckeye Aeand, of course, the common chestnut) and also the Crab Apples (Malus sp.) in Dallimore Valley. But the crowning glory is the magnificent display of colour in the Glory Hole - currently at its peak. The heavy scent that you can smell all round the top end of the Pinetum is from the yellow trumpet-shaped flowers of Rhododendron luteum from Northen Turkey and Eastern Europe.

Wild flowers

Bedgebury is not all about exotic trees and shrubs. The Pinetum also provides a sanctuary rich in native flora and fauna. Wild flowers, animals, reptiles and insects thrive here due to a balanced and sympathetic approach to the management of the site. The star of the show at the moment is the common Bluebell, with its gently nodding lavender blue flowers forming a carpet at the feet of the trees. It is estimated that 70% of all the worlds Common Bluebells are found in the UK - look out for pink and white ones too.

Bluebells in Dallimore Valley

We do request that you enjoy this unique place responsibly and don't pick any of the cones and wild flowers so that others can enjoy them too.

I hope this blog will help to make your trip to Bedgebury all the more interesting and enjoyable. I will update it regularly to keep you posted on the best things to see all round the year.

The Final Week

24th March

Melipeuco to Lonquimay

Our guides warned in advance that today was going to be a long drive (in time not distance) due to the condition of the road, but that there was going to be a lot to see and collect. They weren’t wrong.



We had only been driving for ten minutes before we came across a stand of Austrocedrus chilensis - the variation in their foliage colour ranged from dark green to silver. We made collections from a range of the colours to see if the colours carried through to the seedlings.
The very dusty road took us around the edge of Parque Nacional Congullio through China Muerta National Reserve. Along the way we saw so many amazing plants, stopping to collect as we passed. One of the most important collections for the Pinetum was from the Chilean Plum Yew (Prumnopitys andina). We planted many of these in the Bedgebury Conifer Conservation area but unfortunately several have died due to water logging. Having now seen the plants in the wild, this is not surprising. They are growing in very sandy, well-drained soil. We can now try them in a range of different sites. The fruit of the Chilean Plum Yew is like a yellow grape and the forest floor was absolutely covered with them, making collecting easy.



Another important collection for the Bedgebury Conifer Conservation and the Millennium Seed Bank were three species of Southern Beech - Nothofagus obliqua, N. dombeyi and N. alpina. The seed of these are small and, to collect these, we threw a line up in to the tree and gently shook the branches whilst the rest of the group help a large tarpaulin underneath to catch the seed (and generally getting covered in seed too). This area proved to be a great collecting site and we also gathered Aristotelia chilensis, Azara integrifolia and Chilean Hazel (Gevuina avellana).
Heading up the mountain we started to see the occasional Monkey-Puzzle. But, once we reached the mountain pass, we knew we were there. Its hard to describe how amazing it is to see these beautiful trees in their natural habitat. They are often described as looking prehistoric, but that’s the truth. You can really imagine dinosaurs wandering around amongst them. Some of these trees are massive and over 1000 years old. Truly a memory I will never forget.



Unfortunately time was pressing and we still had a long way to drive. So we carried on across this very strange lunar landscape covered in dinosaur trees, crossing the odd river as we went before arriving in Lonquimay. After dinner we laid siege to the Prumnopitys, cleaning our haul in my shower - it looked like a bomb had hit it. By the time we had finished the sink and shower drains were so blocked we had to pay to get a plumber in to fix it. From this moment on, all seed was cleaned outside!



25th March

Back in to Reserve Nacional Malalcahuello Nalcas, along another very dusty road. After a few wrong turns we asked for directions from a man walking down the road (we were in the middle of nowhere so heaven knows what he was doing there). We were quite high up around the level of the tree line. As usual the scenery was stunning - snow capped volcanos, mountain tops coloured grey and black, with Monkey Puzzles towering above the Nothofagus just starting their autumn colour show. Carrying on through this incredible landscape, each turn of a corner was even more spectacular than the last. We finally stopped to collect one of the tiny alpine plants (Loasa nana) - it is unbelievable how these delicate looking plants survive up here (1850m a.s.l). This has to be the most amazing spot I have ever collected from; surrounded by three volcanoes, huge old lava flow, Monkey-Puzzles and an Andean Condor flying overhead. I cant get across in words what it was like, so just check out the pictures. Back in Lonquimay we had dinner made for us - steak and a very tasty Monkey-Puzzle mashed potato type thing washed down with white Chilean wine.



26th March

Lonquimay to Angol (via Temuco)

Just outside Lonquimay we had to wait to pass through the Tunnel of Roots. At 4538m it is the longest tunnel in South America. We didn’t mind the wait as we could gaze up at a huge glacier sitting above an Araucaria forest (oh, well!). Eventually we got to Temuco and stocked up on supplies, changed some money and bought a new camera. In the city there is a small nature reserve Cerro Ñielol. we stopped there to see if any of the Citronella mucronatum had seed. No luck this time, but really nice to see it anyway. From Temuco it was straight on to Angol.



27th March

Parque Nacional Nahuelbuta

Although we had already seen many Araucarias, today was special as it was the day that we would be collecting them. Nahuelbuta is one of the most important sites for Araucaria as it is its last coastal sanctuary of any size - man has destroyed all of the rest. Lots of it has been converted to Eucalyptus and Pine plantations. It is also very important as the trees here are genetically different from all the Andean ones.



The park covers an area of just under 7000 hectares and reaches 1600m. Unfortunately this population is highly threatened. Eucalyptus and Pine plantations surround the whole park and every time there is a fire in these plantations (due to forestry practises) it eats away at a bit more of the forest. As well as the Araucarias, the park is also home to many endemic plants as well as cougars, Darwin’s Fox and many bird species.



The problem with Araucarias is that the seed is not storable for very long (recalcitrant) unlike many species that can be stored in the Millennium Seed Bank. The way to help preserve these trees is through ex-situ conservation by growing the trees at gardens like Bedgebury and Wakehurst Place. The seed collected from Nahuelbuta will therefore be grown at the gardens and form the core of the South American section of the Bedgebury Conifer Conservation Project.
The cones of the Araucarias are at the top of the tree and difficult to reach. Tthe locals use shotguns to shoot the cones down to harvest the seed (due to health and safety reasons this wasn’t an option for us). Fortunately, when ripe, the seeds just fall from the cones - so a throw-line and tarpaulin was perfect for bringing the seed down. We had a fantastic day collecting seed form a range of trees to try and capture as much genetic diversity as possible. Collections were also made form Nothofagus dombeyi, Escallonia virgata and a tiny Hypericum. One of the most interesting plants that we saw here was Desfontainia spinosa. The normal variety looks similar to Holly, with lovely tubular orangey red flowers with a yellow tip. But the variety here was chilensis. The flowers were a stunning bright red. Apparently this variety isn’t found growing in gardens in the UK, which is a great shame. Unfortunately no seed was found!



28th March

Angol to Chillan on to Recinto

A short three hour drive through north up through Chillan, then east towards the small town of Recinto. This was the furthest north we had been and we were now in Region VII. We pulled in to a lay-by alongside the main road. Just off the edge of the road we found a great site with a bank running down to a dry river bed (in winter it looked as if it would hold quite a bit of water). Far from the most scenic site we had visited, it did have several species that we hadn’t seen yet (that we really wanted to collect), Eucryphia glutinosa, Podocarpus salignus and a very pretty pink flowered Lapageria.


This was our last night together with our Chilean colleagues so we finished the day with a BBQ and a few ales.




29th March

Today was our last day collecting so we really wanted to get off to a good start. Darrian knew a site where could get a few of our target species. So we drove off, stopping to see a really interesting cactus hugging the ground and a beautiful blue Nothofagus dombeyi. After a bit more driving it became apparent that our luxury 4x4 didn’t have the grunt to get up this 'road', so we made a quick change of plan and drove up the mountain to the ski lodge at Las Trancas.



Disappointingly we didn’t see anything on the way up. But on the way down Jo spotted a load of spiky plants on a very steep mountainside above us. On closer inspection they turned out to be Puya alpestris - a truly bizarre sight, with tufts of spiky silver leaves and flower spikes nearly 2m tall and, most importantly, good seed - the best possible note to finish on. We also collected Orites myrtoidea and Maytenus boaria. Back to the Cabañas in Recinto to pick up the last of the seed we had left to dry (and our washing) and then 'adios, amigos' to our travelling companions for the last three weeks and suddenly it had come to an end. Back into the car for the final trek back to Temuco.



30th and 31st March

The 30th was really a day just to relax, sort out notes and give the car a very well deserved clean before boarding the plane for our flight home on the 31st.



All in all it was the trip of a life time - 2500 miles by car, four days travelling around by boat, more volcanoes than you can shake a stick at, great company, amazing scenery, great collections of seed for long-term conservation in the Millennium Seed Bank, Bedgebury, Westonbirt, Wakehurst Place and Kew.

I can't wait to start sowing the seed and watch them grow.

A massive thanks to the Friends of Bedgebury, the Forestry Commission and the Royal Horticultural Society for all their support in making this amazing trip possible for me.