Beautiful Batsford escapes the worst of the storm at key time of year

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Beautiful Batsford escapes the worst of the storm at key time of year

The beautiful tree collection at Batsford Arboretum appears to have escaped relatively unscathed from last night�s storm.

Head Gardener Matthew Hall says despite the rough conditions, most of the trees appear to be undamaged � and much of the autumn colour is still looking good, with plenty more to come over the next few weeks. It�s business as normal today (Monday 28th October) as thankfully, despite heavy rain, the wind hasn�t really touched the arboretum.

Autumn is one of the most important times of year at Batsford Arboretum, which is run by a charity called the Batsford Foundation. �This is the time we get most of our visitors and their financial contribution is absolutely vital as we don�t get any government funding to keeping the arboretum going�, says Matthew. �This year we�ve suffered from the unseasonably wet autumn weather so we�re relieved the storm hasn�t caused any damage to our beautiful trees � or their wonderful display of autumn colour�.

Despite missing the worst of the wind, there was a lot of rain at Batsford overnight and the ground has now reached saturation point. Matthew says �it�s vital visitors stick to the paths when the ground is so sodden as the grassy areas are very slippery. We also recommend visitors wear strong, sturdy boots or wellingtons�.

It�s been a challenging season for Batsford staff. Spring was very late and despite a good summer, the charity needs people to visit in the autumn to ensure the future of the arboretum. The forecast for the rest of this week looks dry and fairly bright so staff are keeping their fingers crossed for support over the half term week.

For more information please call Head Gardener Matthew Hall on 07818 008512.

Posted : 28/10/2013 16:33:09

PLEASE NOTE: This story has been archived and the information contained within it may no longer be correct.


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