Gardening Group

Friday 8th August, 2025

Castle Wood Rose Garden

We returned to Castle Wood Rose Garden for an afternoon of summer maintenance. Eight dedicated volunteers each gave two hours of their time, and the results were well worth the effort.

Our main focus was removing the spent flowers from the Lamb’s Ear plants. While these blooms are loved by pollinators, they can overshadow some of the smaller rose varieties. By trimming away the old flower spikes, we give the roses more room to thrive and encourage the Lamb’s Ear to channel its energy into producing more foliage – increasing the silver-green ground cover that makes it such a feature.

With the Lamb’s Ear sorted, we moved on to deadheading the roses and pulling out a few more baby holly and oak seedlings. We then turned our attention to the steps leading down from Severndroog Castle, where a build-up of dead leaves had gathered. Clearing these not only smartened the approach to the garden but also made it safer by reducing the risk of slips and trips.

We were especially grateful for the welcome refreshments from the Severndroog Castle tearoom – ice creams and cold drinks were much appreciated after a productive couple of hours in the hot summer sun. Hopefully, visitors over the weekend will notice just how neat and cared-for the garden is looking.