Snow clear-up at Wakehurst Place

Press release

Staff at Wakehurst Place, Kew’s country estate in West Sussex, are assessing the damage to trees and shrubs caused by recent heavy snow.

More than 100 trees around the 500 acre estate at Ardingly, near Haywards Heath, have been damaged by the weight of snow piling up on their branches and will need remedial tree surgery. At least one tree was felled completely, others have lost large branches, and a number of shrubs have also been damaged, including Wakehurst’s renowned collection of Daphne bholua in the Westwood Valley.

Over the next few weeks, visitors to Wakehurst will find that some trees and paths are roped off until this work is complete.

The impact of the snow on the plants and trees has surprised staff at Wakehurst who say it has caused the worst damage to the plant collections since gales in the 1990s.

Iain Parkinson, Wakehurst’s Woodland and Conservation manager, who has worked on the estate for 23 years, said: “I have not experienced this sort of damage from snow at Wakehurst before.

“In a storm or strong winds you are prepared for damage because there is a lot of noise, but the snow has been like a silent executioner. It is the sheer weight of snow lying on branches for such a long period of time which has caused the damage.

He added: “In the long term most of the trees will recover, but I’m sure there will be some visitors who will be quite sad to see damage to trees they are fond off.”

Visitors who wish to help support the Wakehurst team bring the tree collection back to standard can donate at the Visitor Centre tills.

Notes to editors

For more information call the Kew press office on 020 8332 5607 or email pr@kew.org.
To download general Wakehurst images please visit http://www.kew.org/press/images/wakehurst

Wakehurst Place is home to formal gardens, natural woodlands, nature reserves and a sixteenth century mansion; plus the Millennium Seed Bank, the largest wild seed collection in the world. It is located on the B2028 between Ardingly and Turners Hill (Junction 10 off the M23), West Sussex, RH17 6TN. For more information ring 01444 894067 or visit our Wakehurst visitor pages.

Between 6 and 13 January 2010 Wakehurst Place received around 35 cm (14 inches) of snow and the gardens remained closed throughout this period.

For further Press information please contact:

Kew:
Public Relations
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Richmond
Surrey TW9 3AB
UK
Tel: +44 (0)20 8332 5607/5619
Email: pr@kew.org

Wakehurst Place:
Public Relations
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Wakehurst Place
Ardingly
West Sussex RH17 6TN
UK
Tel: +44 (0)1444 894018
Email: msb@kew.org