A Scottish charity is giving an insight into its work and is sharing top tips on how to prepare gardens for the autumn.
Leading garden centre retailer Dobbies has teamed up with Scotland’s largest membership organisation, the National Trust for Scotland, to give listeners the inside track on what it takes to maintain its 38 beautiful gardens all year round, with a focus on how to prepare for the upcoming autumnal months.
Live now, podcast host and gardening writer Louise Midgley is joined by Head of Heritage Gardening, Ann Steele, who delves into how the conservation charity has been championing Scotland’s natural, built and cultural heritage since 1931, to inspire those who visit, with a particular focus on the work that goes into maintaining its show-stopping gardens across Scotland.
Cultivating over 100,000 individual plants, both native and exotic, the National Trust for Scotland is the largest garden owner in the country and the podcast explores how the conservation charity which is now in its 90th year, cares for its wealth of horticultural landmarks, ensuring they are protected for future generations to continue to enjoy.
Throughout the podcast, Ann highlights how the Trust has adopted a more sustainable approach to the upkeep of its gardens through a variety of techniques from water management and recycling, to limiting pesticide usage and a complete ban of peat-based compost. As the nights begin to draw in, Ann also talks through what all gardeners should be doing this autumn to prepare their plants to burst into bloom next spring.
Marcus Eyles, horticultural director at Dobbies, said: ‘With autumn just around the corner gardeners need to start preparing their outdoor spaces for the colder months, as the work that is carried out during this period is crucial in preparing for a bright and beautiful spring.
‘The National Trust for Scotland’s gardens are truly inspirational attractions and while we may not all have gardens on the same scale, Ann kindly shares some really valuable tips in the latest podcast that we can all adopt in our own gardens no matter the size.’
The Trust employs over 70 full-time professional gardeners who are all respected and renowned around the world, spending a lot of their time tending to landscapes and plants and also passing on their skills and experience to future generations of gardeners through training and education schemes.
Ann Steele, Head of Heritage Gardening at the National Trust for Scotland, added: ‘Over the last couple of years, those of us lucky enough to have our own outdoor spaces have found our gardens to be a real place of solace.
‘Indeed, it’s been great to see so many people become more involved in gardening and see visitors returning to our Trust gardens to revel in the peace and tranquillity they bring. They really are places that people love. It was wonderful to share a bit about our story with Louise on the latest Dobbies’ podcast and I hope that there were some useful tips that everyone can put into action in their own gardens this autumn.’
So far, Dobbies’ podcast series has covered a host of topics, with everything from seasonal gardening tips and practical advice for beginners, to growing your own produce and caring for houseplants.
Dobbies’ podcast is available to listen to and download now via iTunes and Spotify HERE.
To learn more about the National Trust for Scotland and its work, visit https://www.nts.org.uk
For more information visit dobbies.com
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