SPRING EVENING VISIT - 15th MAY 2013
MYERSCOUGH COLLEGE GARDEN
After a day of rain and chilly winds, 45 members of
the Society arrived at Myerscough College with a
blue sky to welcome us. We met in the shop which sells a wide range of plants, bird seed and useful garden tools. Our guide for the evening was college lecturer, Robert Hughes, due to retire from the college this year and who had been a student from the college’s opening from 1968 – 1969 and could remember planting many of the mature trees surrounding the gardens. |
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Finally we came to the perfect lawns with a handy notice board and outline map of the gardens entitled ‘Plant World’ showing the variety of borders on show such as chalk tolerant, acid loving and including a national collection of Eryrigiums. There were hardy fuchsias and mature borders all cared for by the students. |
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There was a weather station here monitoring local
conditions and linked up to the Met office. Mr Hughes emphasized that they do not use chemicals
on the plots and beds, hoping for a build-up of
natural predators, hence the many croaking frogs we
could hear, enjoying the local slug
population. Netting was necessary around the kitchen garden
section as rabbits were sighted hopping behind us on
the grass as we progressed. There were newly dug
vegetable plots with fruit trees either side of the
path. Next we were taken to the greenhouses where students experimented with micro-propagation, growing new plants from a few cultured plant cells. |
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Finally we enjoyed a woodland walk via a timber chip path amongst oak trees surrounded by bluebells and wild garlic. It was a thoroughly enjoyable evening
visit, which hopefully will be repeated and next
time we may have an opportunity to buy some of the
plants on display. The College runs a wide range of
courses on Horticulture and Land and Animal
Management at all levels from access to degree
level.
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