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Wesley Shaw talks about all aspects of gardening design, maintenace and your gardening cononudrums
Head of Horticulture, Wes Shaw, travelled to the US recently to learn more about prairies, to help plan, plant and manage our Grasslands Garden
Head of Horticulture, Wes Shaw, travelled to the US recently to learn more about prairies, to help plan, plant and manage our Grasslands Garden.
Our new Grasslands Garden, which opened in 2018, draws its inspiration from the grassland habitats of the North American Prairie and the South African Drakensburg mountain region.
It was designed by James Hitchmough, Professor of Horticultural Ecology at Sheffield University, who specialises in studying wild herbaceous plant communities to create spectacular urban planting schemes.
In July, I travelled to the Midwest of the USA to experience the prairie first-hand. I flew in and out of Chicago and, with the help of Marcus de la fleur, a Chicago resident and expert on the prairie, I travelled more than 2,000 miles over two weeks, to see some of his recommended locations.
Horniman Museum’s Wes Shaw
As head of horticulture at the Horniman Museum, Wes works closely with its curators to make connections between objects in the museum and what visitors see in the garden.
Garden Pests – The Box Tree Caterpillar
We all love caterpillars don’t we!? … Cute furry little critters that often transform into gorgeous butterflies or moths, BUT there is a dark side to these larval Lepidoptera.
Battle of the Bluebells – Native vs Spanish & Hybrids
Last weekend I had the pleasure of walking through a bluebell woodland near Hook Village in Hampshire. Unfortunately they are becoming more threatened through habitat destruction, over collection from the wild and competition from foreign invaders so I thought they would merit the subject of a blog post.
Spring pruning – Dogwoods Cornus sanguinea ‘Midwinter Fire’
It’s at this time of year the secateurs are unleashed on shrubs that flower on the current season’s growth, and on plants that are annually coppiced for colourful stems or woodland management. My gardening volunteer group at the Horniman Museum have been doing that this week.
Wes is available to take on new clients and would love to hear from you if you think he could help with any aspect of your garden.
