'A host of golden daffodils'.....and more

Tuesday, 26 October 2010

The re-modelling of the Harris Garden has already begun. To fit with its new role as an amenity for staff, students and visitors, the Grounds Team have been working hard to prepare the garden for a glorious display in the spring through to summer.

The garden will be re-opened, hopefully in the last week of November, when the felling of the large diseased trees has been completed and all seeding of areas been accomplished.

As well as a beautiful, quiet place to visit, the garden will continue to act as a haven for wildlife and as a resource for teaching and research.  

Most of the large scale work has already been completed; the removal of large areas of laurels near the entrance has brought light into the garden and the removal of the soft fruit garden and fences surrounding it have opened up the opportunities for bulb planting on mass amongst new turf paths and meadows.

Mass bulb planting was carried out on Monday 25 October by a contractor from Holland who specialises in planting thousands of bulbs in a very short space of time with a machine.

In the Harris Garden alone a total of 48,000 bulbs have been planted for a succession of interest - starting with white flowered and scented Narcissus ‘Thalia'.

Narcissus ‘Pheasants eye' will follow - flowering in late April, then in May a mix of Allium ‘Purple sensation' and two types of Camassia will flower till June.

In the centre of Whiteknights Campus, a further 22,000 bulbs were planted along 2 major path ways including a 60m long 2m wide curving strip of 4 types of Narcissus that will flower in February and a blue Camassia to finish flowering in May/June along the side of the HumSS building  towards the library.

In total Over 71,000 bulbs were planted in less than six hours!  Not quite ‘ten thousand tossing their heads in sprightly dance', but we can certainly look forward to spring to see the fruits of the Team's labour.