Tag: open air

20th May 2021

Tree ‘Popping’ in the Parkland

We were busy Tree ‘popping’ with our LYRiC (Love your River Cole) trainees in the Parkland last week.

It was both a training exercise showing them how the tool worked as well as what could be achieved with it, as well as a chance to do some much needed woodland work.

I borrowed the Tree Popping tools from Warwickshire Wildlife Trust, one of our project partners, which we put to good use removing some of the many Horse chestnut and Sycamore saplings that are springing up as well as some of the Holly.

Fortune was on our side as all the recent rain ensured the ground was soft resulting in even very tall (7ft) saplings coming out with their roots intact.

We created two ‘dead’ hedges with the removed saplings and brash which creates a nice habitat for wildlife and a tidy boundary between areas.

We cleared a good sized area between our historic ‘Avenue of Trees‘ which just starts to hint at how the avenue will look once we have opened up this section.

If you are interested to learning more and would like to get involved please get in touch – we would love to hear from you!

Email us on: CastleBromParklandInfo@gmail.com – Your friendly Parkland Team: Tara, Ann & Oliver.

8th July 2020

Cream Tea in a Box …. coming soon

The perfect takeaway food for a socially distanced Garden experience...

Last year’s popular Cream Tea in a carry out box is set to return to the Garden in the next week. Scrumptious locally made scones, oodles of proper Cornish cream and berry jams all ready for you to collect at our Orangery shop and take off to your favourite place around the gardens for your own summer picnic treat.

Just order your Cream Tea in a Box package online and collect it when you come to the Gardens.

The box and nearly all the packaging is made of totally compostable plant based materials – so nothing goes to waste. We are still offering never ending tea/coffee refills – but given current circs. these will be served in a new cup, so please help us by disposing of the packaging in the recycling bins.

With our 10acres of beautiful green space we are the ideal space for your staycation days out… pack a picnic basket, add an order for a Cream Tea in a Box and take a trip to 18th century elegance.

Check the website ticket page HERE

29th May 2020

the dragon arises..

Dracunculus vulgaris: the Dragon lily

It’s arrived! Also known as ‘snake lily’ and ‘devil’s tongue’ -we can see why.

We’ve been lucky with warm springs of recent years and has given us quite a few years of spectacular moments.

It grows wild in the eastern Mediterranean and the Balkans.

The flower is also noted for its foul smell of rotting flesh.

Flies are attracted to the smell, but this is no flesh eating dragon; the flies just serve as a pollinator for the flower. Obviously a successful adaptation which has helped this weird plant survive.

I wonder if the flower will last until we can open the gates for all to see?

In the meantime…

15th May 2020

Hedgehog – in the daytime

We’ve some lovely night time footage of our resident hedgehogs (see the footage on previous blog posts). They’re free to roam across all of the different habitats in the Gardens – they like cover, but they also like a bit of mown grass… we have plenty of both.

This week, with so few people in the gardens one of them has been bold enough to come out a foraging in the day time.

We were initially a bit worried. Hedgehogs are nocturnal and seeing one in the daytime can be a sign of a poorly pig.

We looked at here, she looked at us.. We looked again. No longer interested in us, she turned slowly and waddled off into the undergrowth

We think – given she ‘waddled well’ that the one in this picture was probably a female foraging for food or for nesting materials. Given the lively group we’ve seen on the nightcam… we can only hope that our hogs are growing in number.

See here for some advice about hedgehogs in your gardens https://www.warwickshirewildlifetrust.org.uk/hedgehogs

https://www.sttiggywinkles.org.uk/hedgehog-fact-sheet/

12th May 2020

Kids and BBC Newsround – good as ever

Just sharing another round up of great things for kids to do.. BBCs Newsround has always been good and our national public broadcaster is really working well in the current situation.

Bug houses, Bee B&Bs, smile stones, birdfeeders and growing veg are all featured on the current Newsround page… all things our Unplug and Play sessions really encourage.

Until we can welcome you back into the Gardens – why not practice with the Beeb.

I’m looking forward to a set of activities in the Gardens, led by enthusiastic, imaginative and skilled children!

Yes, we can make it happen.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/52009318

28th April 2020

Gardening Tips for May

Gardener’s Tips for May

It is now time to give your borders some attention. All the sunshine and showers means the garden should now be at its vibrant best. Remove any faded spring bedding at the end of the month, it’s served you well but it’s time for a change and old bedding can be put in the compost bin to go back on the garden next year as mulch.

Once the risk of frost has passed (what do you think?), plant out summer bedding and ensure it is kept well watered so it can establish.

Ensure any perennial weeds are swiftly removed and hoe off any annual weeds , don’t let them get the chance to flower and seed as this will greatly increase your workload. Tie in any shoots of climbing plants in your border. Plants like clematis are easier to manage when offshoots are short and young, if you allow them to get too long it’s almost impossible to prise them away from other plants they get tangled up in without snapping.

Hanging baskets

If you want hanging baskets plant them up now and allow them to establish for a few weeks in a frost free space make sure that when you put them out you keep them well watered, pick off the dead flowers and give them a liquid fertiliser feed every few weeks this should keep your hanging baskets flowering throughout the summer.

Veggy times

You can start to harvest rhubarb this month, twist the stem at the base of the plant but ensure you leave a few stems on each crown.

Don’t strip it bare as the plant needs to be able to feed its own crown. Continuing with this theme on the vegetable plot, if you have asparagus ensure that you stop cutting to leave some spears to grow at the end of the month. They produce a lovely ferny foliage which is

needed by the asparagus crown to capture sunlight to replenish its crown for next year. Potatoes that were planted in April (oh yes they were!) can now be earthed up, by drawing up mounds of soil up around the plant this will help the potatoes create more tubers from the buried stems and increase your crop.

You may have been mowing for a few months now, but it’s time to establish a regular routine. Mowing weekly will ensure you get a denser turf. A denser turf means a better looking lawn and less opportunity for weeds to establish – No don’t be tempted to do it too often because your ‘just want to get out there!’

For further tips follow the link to view the RHS Gardening Tips for #nationalgardeningweek https://www.rhs.org.uk/get-involved/national-gardening-week/

21st April 2020

…Thus the ever grateful Spring.

We know that, over the centuries, the Gardens were a place where much music was played and enjoyed.

This May we had planned a 35th Anniversary celebratory romp through our history, this was to include some wonderful young musicians from Birmingham Conservatoire playing music from the times when the Gardens were at their peak in the late 1600s and early 1700s.

The small building at the end of the Holly Walk is known variously as the Music Room and the Summer House. Scholars from the Gardens, our sister site Weston Park and from the Conservatoire even have records of music manuscripts and what music parties were held.

We like to continue the tradition of having all kinds of music played outdoors on our site….

Today, let’s just celebrate the Spring and imagine this somewhere under our apple trees in the Orchards..

This piece is from the Fairie Queen by Purcell, which premiered in 1692 in London at the Dorset Gardens Theatre.

The music was written as part of a ‘Restoration spectacular’, a ‘masque’ or semi opera. Effectively it was a blockbuster show full of fancy costumes, amazing stage effects, music, songs and ballet all wrapped round Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream…

This short song is near the end of the Masque – the Queen and King of the Fairies – Titania and Oberon are in celebratory mood and are singing praises of the seasons..

Thus the ever Grateful Spring,
Does her yearly Tribute bring;
All your Sweets before him lay,
Then round his Altar, Sing and Play

Who knows, Bridgeman family members, keen musicians, may at the time have purchased the manuscript of some of these airs and played them here, in Castle Bromwich.

It may not be everyone’s favourite choice of music.. but let’s hope we can all be grateful to Spring… I’m sure Titania and Oberon are already in the Gardens ..

19th May 2019

Unplug and Play

Half Term Family Friendly Activities in the Gardens

Make the most of the warmer weather to get out and about in the open and discover nature.

Self Guided Trails all week

There’s a caterpillar flower trail for the littl’uns and for everyone, try our ‘invent a plant name‘ to stretch everyone’s creative powers.

3 days of craft activities.

Leaf and plant printing.
Make your own pictures, bunting or gift tags with collected leaves and flowers.
We’ll use 2 techniques. One with paint and one with a hammer (Hapa zome).
suitable for all ages (with adult supervision
12- 3pm, £2 per person (including garden entry).

FREE for Family Friendly Activities Annual Pass holders

Tuesday 28th May
Wednesday 29th May
Friday 31st May

Don’t forget the Gardens open at 11am – Make a day of it

17th February 2019

Blossom picnics – Birmingham’s own Hanami

Spend the day under the blossom trees in the heritage orchards of the Historic Gardens.
With apple and pear blossoms instead of the traditional Japanese plum, this version of Hanami still echoes the tradition of enjoying the beauty of the flowers this Spring.
A picnic in the Gardens is always enjoyable, however, the orchards in full bloom also provide the perfect setting for your relaxing day out.

Traditional Japanese food by Pika Pika will be available on the day, with a selection of delicious sushi and curry available.

Bring your own food and drink too. Cafe open for light refreshments
Music and other activities likely! Take part in learning how to create beautiful origami creations.
Normal entrance fees

25th January 2018

Sunday Saunters…special weekend openings for winter wanderings

Sometimes all you want on Sunday afternoon at this time of year is a bit of fresh air and a stretching of the legs.

No kitting up for a long walk in the hills, just a stroll around a green and peaceful place…

This winter we are having a series of special weekend openings at the Gardens with this need in mind. There are five ‘Sunday Saunters’ between the end of January and the beginning of the season in April.

Late Winter and early Spring is also just a fascinating time in our Gardens.. the snowdrops, aconites and hellebores begin to emerge. As the days get longer the birds (and the box hedges!) get more active. Soon our drifts of daffodils begin to shoot up. When we are lucky enough to have some sunshine the low raking light illuminates the walkways and creates intriguing silhouettes.

We like to share these transient treasures, so Sunday opening offers a chance for our busy visitors to have a couple of hours of healthy pootering outdoors.

Of course it’s still a bit parky, so we have opened our 18th century Greenhouse (sometimes known as the Orangery) for people to find shelter and get a cup of warming chocolate.

On some of the days we will also strike up the firepit and indulge in toasted marshmallows and have some simple family crafts too.

Here are the dates. Do check back to the events calendar on this site or on Facebook just to make sure.

Sundays, 11am – 3pm £4 adults, £1 children. Free for Members
28^th January	Snowdrops+ RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch and family craft
4^th February	Snowdrops
18^th February
4^th March	Daffs + Elite Tents Wedding Fair on site (free entry)
18^th March	Good for Daffs