Springtime Garden Update: Storm Èowyn, Renewal, and Restoration

One of Hazelwood Estate’s greatest treasures is its vast collection of spectacular trees. On entering the grounds, you are immediately surrounded by so many beautiful varieties that often take several of our lifetimes to mature.

Unfortunately, due to Storm Èowyn, the casualties of fallen trees are many; longstanding beautiful trees have succumbed to the brute force of the wind. This is most apparent where ivy had already invaded to the topmost branches and provided the powerful wind with a sail to force even the strongest trees to the ground. Ivy in other settings can be a beautiful part of the garden, and a giving partner in both food and shelter to wildlife but left unchecked it slowly creeps up the trunks and overwhelms a tree eventually dragging it to the ground.

Thankfully nature has its own way of bringing balance. Where heavy had shade prevailed, fresh light can once again reach the earth and encourage new saplings to spring up and eventually take their place. The Forest in springtime gives us the dramatic change we are waiting for throughout the winter months. From bare wood and branches, buds burst open into a stunning canopy of rich colour. Snowdrop flowers tell us the growing season is at last beginning and once again, the best season of all has arrived.

After clearing the damage to the immediate areas of Hazelwood House and Distillery our priority was to clear and reopen our section of the Hazelwood Walk. Work continues to restore the forest, and plans are in place to continue to remove the invasive plant species. Aggressive non-native plants such as Cherry Laurel, Rhododendron and Japanese Knotweed can overwhelm the forest and make it impossible for other species to co-exist.

One of these overgrown areas has now been cleared of smothering Rhododendron; and we were thrilled to discover a large hidden plantation of Hazels. This find has given us back a fantastic collection and we plan to coppice the old Hazels to restore their vigour. This pruning method rejuvenates old wood encouraging fresh growth, it not only has huge benefits to the health and longevity of the Hazels, but it also replenishes the bounty of food each plant supplies to our wildlife.