Saturday 28 June 2014

Behind the Scenes with David Kesteven

'How many gardeners are there?' is one of the most frequently asked questions from visitors.  Our reply of 'four' is met with open-mouthed astonishment.  Here, we talk to Head Gardener, David Kesteven, to find out exactly what goes into managing gardens as expansive as the ones here at Renishaw and to discover some of the behind-the-scenes secrets.

What does your role as Head Gardener at Renishaw involve?

Coordinating people and plants; making sure everyone knows what they're doing and has what they need and that all plants are in the right place and have what they need.  I work on implementing Alexandra's plans for the garden making sure everything looks as fantastic as possible for the visitors.

What is the thing you are most proud of in the garden?

The standards of maintenance; Lady Sitwell always says, "We must have our standards".  Also, straightening up the pyramids, Dave and Paul's [Renishaw gardeners] hedges and the planting in the borders.

David, hard at work in the gardens.


What are your plans for the future of Renishaw gardens?

To keep improving the planting; breeding our own Magnolias and taming the woods all the way down to the lakes .

Do you have a favourite season?

My favourite month is May and my favourite seasons are Spring and Summer.

What are the highlights of each Season?

Winter:  snowdrops and hedges.
Spring: Daffodils, Magnolias, Bluebells
Summer:  Roses, delphiniums, borders
Autumn: Bottom terrace, dahlia.

David and the Delphiniums, which are out right now.

Finally, have you any anecdotes you would like to share?

One TV company asked me the worst thing about visitors.  I said that they had been breaking the heads off the opium poppies and afterwards they bleed and look terrible - the poppies, that is - I added, but they edited that bit out.

Enjoy David's hard work; the gardens are open 10.30am until 4.30pm, Wednesday to Sunday until the end of September.

Saturday 7 June 2014

It has been an incredibly busy start to the 2014 Season.  It's difficult to believe that we're already almost two months in - where has the time gone? A welcome addition this year, is our new visitor centre which has been a hit with visitors and staff alike.  As well as your tickets, you can also purchase Renishaw Hall wine, Sheffield Honey Company honey and we have just begun to stock greetings cards from The Great British Card Company along with the usual Renishaw Hall souvenirs.



Since our opening weekend, we have been kept busy with the first of our Food and Craft Fairs and Specialist plant fairs.  Even though the weather was typically British with lots of rain, we still attracted plenty of visitors.  We've also enjoyed the first of our Vineyard tours and tasting sessions with our vineyard manager Kieron Atkinson, offering the opportunity to learn about the Renishaw Hall vineyard and sample the award winning wine.  It's also been nice to open the doors of the Hall to our Public Tours (every Friday at 1pm and 2.30pm; plus weekends in August).

As always, the garden has been ever changing.  We have already welcomed a host of daffodils in time for Mothers Day, the bluebells which made an appearance for Easter, the Pocket Handkerchief and currently the Laburnum Tunnel.  Of course, there is much more to look forward to, with the garden never looking the same twice.



We have so much more to look forward to during the remainder of this Season.  We are busy with plans for the second of our Food, Craft and Plant Fair weekends, which is due to take place on Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th August.  On June 11th, we host the annual Classic car and bike show in the grounds, which is always popular.  Beginning on June 11th and dotted throughout the season are the WWI talks, hosted by our archivist Christine Beevers, which  focus on the Sitwell family living through the war.  The Sitwell museum has also undergone something of an overhaul, with new exhibits concentrating on Edith Sitwell to mark 50 years since her death.

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