Stroll in Attingham's Walled Garden

Apples in the Orchard covered in frost — The first frost of autumn in the Orchard. A sign winter is coming.

During the winter months you can still potter around our lovingly restored Walled Garden which is open from 9am as part of a pre-booked visit. Some areas are restricted, including the Bothy, which is closed. Things might look a bit different to usual at this time of year, as our gardening work was affected by the spring lockdown and subsequent restrictions.

Over the past decade we've been bringing this important part of the estate back to life, and production. Originally created in the 1780s; after falling into disrepair, and having different uses in the 20th century, this Georgian kitchen garden is both beautiful and bountiful today.

The Bothy and Frameyard in the Walled Garden, summer 2020.

From flowers in the Mansion to the produce usually being used in recipes in the Cafe the garden once again supplies the estate all year round. You can even take a little bit of the Walled Garden back home with you as we sell freshly harvested produce in the Stables Shop.

A garden for all seasons

Spring

Spring is an important time of year in the garden as it’s when we start seeds off early in the glasshouses. We prepare the vegetable beds for planting and sow annual cut flowers. As the weather warms, we transplant seedlings into the main garden, constantly weeding as everything starts to grow. In Spring 2020 we had to significantly reduce the amount of vegetables we could produce due to the number of gardeners and volunteer teams able to work in the Walled Garden due to the Coronavirus pandemic. We also needed to make use of weed matting to help us try to stay on top of all of the work.

Weed matting cover on flower bed at Attingham Park, Shropshire — Weed matting helping the Attingham gardeners manage in May 2020

Summer

The main task during the summer is usually to harvest our produce to use in the cafe and shop. We need to water the salad crops in the glasshouses, as well as pruning our various fruit trees. Of course, the grass also needs constant mowing and edging. In summer 2020 our small team of gardeners are working around the clock to harvest produce but also to catch up with all the weeds that have grown since Attingham was closed due to Coronavirus and had just three members of outdoor staff for the 4,000 acre estate. Slowly our volunteers are returning and helping us to get back on top of things.

Autumn

September, October and November usually see the continuing harvesting of our produce for the cafe and shop. We also begin clearing the main vegetable and frameyard beds as plants die back. The orchard needs harvesting, as 37 varieties of apple require picking, pressing and juicing.

Winter

Towards the end of the year we start digging new beds ready for the following year. We replenish the soil in our glasshouse beds and prune the apple trees in the orchard. Pots need cleaning, labels need sorting and seeds have to be ordered as we prepare for the coming spring, and our yearly cycle starts over again.

Small plant pots sit inside a glass house at Attingham. Seeds have been planted in the pot in preparation for next year — Throughout winter, the Walled Garden prepares for the following year

The Bothy

Unfortunately the Bothy is currently closed due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

Historically the home of the unmarried gardeners, the Bothy contians more about the Walled Garden's restoration. On cooler days you'll find a roaring fire warming this cosy space.

The Bothy in the Walled Garden at Attingham Park, Shropshire — The Bothy in the Walled Garden at Attingham Park

Take a taste of the Walled Garden home

Our seasonal fresh produce is on sale in our shop for you to enjoy at home but please be aware that in 2020 due to the Coronavirus pandemic, our gardening team was much reduced along with the amount of fruit and vegetables that we could grow. Usually the Carriage House Café is also supplied with fruit and vegetables from the Walled Garden to use in seasonal recipes– but during 2020 we have had to reduce our food offer, limiting what we can use from the garden.

A volunteer washing a handful of asparagus under a hose in the Walled Garden — Throughout the year gardeners grow and harvest produce in the Walled Garden.

Marking 10 years of restoration in the Walled Garden

Work on restoring the Walled Garden as a production garden began in 2008. Find out more about the work we've done so far, and what we're working on next.