Trees – What to spot at Uppark, a beginner’s guide.

What’s the first thing you see as you approach Uppark and how does this colour your over-riding first of impression of the place? What strikes you? What can’t you ignore?

Trees, lots of lovely trees.

Edward Thomas, a South Downs man if ever there was, liked trees

“for their still shade and their rippling or calm shimmering…for the quicksilver drip of dawn…for all their sounds and motions …”

(The South Country).

I like trees too. I suspect we all do.

Trees overhang the north and south approach drives to Uppark and the presence of many beautiful trees within the garden itself is essential to its ambience. Myriad shades of green combine to create the cathedralesque canopy which dapples the approach drives with sunlight in the spring and summer, autumn ushers in a dazzle of mottled russet, golden yellow and a fading echo of lost summer verdancy whilst winter’s stark tracery of leaf bereft branches complicates against a low sun.

Under Andy’s direction we have, quite naturally, focused my occasional “Learn With David” pieces on the colours, names and origins of a range of seasonal stand out plants and flowers (and let’s be honest, we had to start somewhere given what I have to learn!). Given the importance of trees to the character of Uppark, however, and as we enter a new season it now makes absolute sense to feature some of our notable specimens and whilst it’s natural for those of us who thrive on the sunlight and warmth of summer to quail at the thought of autumn, increasingly dark evenings and inevitable leaf-fall, I must admit I’d forgotten how beautiful autumn can be until it actually arrived and I started to think clearly about its treasures again.

Our November newsletter* contains further detail on all that follows.

Known to the non-specialist as the tulip tree for its tulip shaped summer flowers, Uppark has two Liriodendron tulipifera (above and below) the most eye-catching of which is the one next to the Golden Gate garden entrance. Also known variously as canary whitewood and saddle tree, I gather that Liriodendron is the Greek for “lily tree” and also that it’s a member of the Magnolia family. We’re just about to come into a spectacular time for our tulip trees as the changing season brings on a fabulous display of autumn colour.

Also handily placed next to the Golden Gate, Taxus baccata ‘Fastigiata’ (below) might be better known to you as Irish yew, blue john or florence court yew. Baccata is Latin for “bearing red berries” and the contrast of these against dark green foliage is striking.

Over in the tea garden, close to the plant sales area, you’ll find Aralia elata (below) the Japanese angelica (or spikenard) tree. Like Liriodendron tulipifera, the Japanese angelica tree is another provider of outstanding autumn colour once its white late summer flowers have finished. In its native Japan, spring shoots are picked and fried in tempura butter (in Korea, they apparently pan-fry the shoots with minced beef and batter!).

Pinus sylvestris (Scots pine – below) This is a tall, statuesque evergreen conifer; it’s a conspicuous component of our skyline and is identifiable by its mature irregular outline.

Focusing on the main garden, lawn and island beds to the north of the house, there are a number of lovely trees to point out. Don’t miss Tilia tomentosa ‘Petiolaris’, the silver-leaved lime (below). It seems to me that opinion is divided as to whether or not the highly scented flowers of Tilia tomentosa ‘Petiolaris’ are, indeed, either poisonous or narcotic to bees but there’s no doubting the elegance of this statuesque tree.

Next door stands the Acer saccharinum (below) planted at Uppark by the Queen Mother in 1964. Given the presence of saccharinum in its name, it’s not surprising that this picturesque Acer is also commonly known as sugar maple (and silver or soft maple). The leaves are now helping to colour the red and yellow element of Uppark’s beautiful autumn palette.

You’ll also find Morus nigra (below) in one of the island beds across from the silver lime and sugar maple. Commonly known as black mulberry, this is an ancient species thought to have originated in the mountainous areas of Mesopotamia and Persia; it’s flourished in Britain since Roman times and was common in royal gardens from the Tudor period. Last year, one of our summer trails for the children came with the instruction to hop around the island bed in which this tree is located; great exercise (especially if coming straight after a roll down the Coade Urn mound!) and great, glee-filled entertainment too.

Finally in this section, a tree I was asked about during the garden tour a couple of weeks ago (with thanks to Judy for riding to the rescue). I can see why Fraxinus excelsior ‘Jaspidea’ (below) caught my inquisitors eye since golden ash is an entirely apt alternative common name for this tree particularly if you’re lucky enough to witness it when captured within the warm embrace and glow of autumnal afternoon sunshine.

Found widely within the Uppark estate, Fagus sylvatica, the common beech (below) is one of my favourite trees especially at this time of year when its leaves turn a rich brown.

Even more striking, if I’ve found the correct name, is the Fagus sylvatica Atropurpurea group as this includes Fagus sylvatica Purpurea, the truly irresistible copper or purple beech (below).

Two of Uppark’s finest examples of this amazing tree can be found (purposefully aligned to my eyes) at the northern edge of the main garden by the flint wall (above in winter) and again in glorious isolation down in the south meadow (below).

Andy has lowered the height of the shrubs which previously obscured the view between these two majestic trees and I can only think that the hand of man rather than that of nature created their connecting line.

Back to my starting point at the Golden Gate, the avenue of trees lining the north drive are Acer platanoides or Norway maples (below)

These too have now put on the autumn shades of yellow, orange and brown that reflect the colours of the wider estate woodland. Uppark’s Norway Maples were only planted in the 1990s and if you take a look at the video the house team have made detailing the incredible restorative work of that time, you’ll see how small they look and how quickly they’ve grown. Back towards the path from the car park outside the flint garden wall on the right, is one of our Davidia involucrata (below). Davidia involucrata is native to South Central and Southern China and is named for Father Armand David, a French missionary and keen naturalist who lived in China. He first described the tree in 1869 and subsequently sent back specimens to Paris. Also known as the dove tree (its “bract” flutter dove-like in the breeze) and spookily, the ghost tree, you can find another specimen in one of the island beds.

Andy mentioned in a recent tweet that we aim to make our garden tours both “informative and entertaining”. These have been another highlight of my second summer at Uppark; they’ve been great fun to lead and I think we’ve managed to fulfill Andy’s criteria most of the time. The same is true of my occasional skirmishes with plant, and now tree, nomenclature within the Uppark garden blog…..it’ll be interesting to see, again, how much sticks.

Editor’s note: Thank you to Bob France, David Bridges, Jenny Swatton and David Edyvean – Uppark garden tour leaders this year; fabulous work thank you!

* available at the golden gate kiosk in November (or ask at the ticket office)

The Woodland in May

A buzzard surveys the woodland above the power lines

The Uppark woodland has had a good deal of attention over the winter months and is now looking a lot different from autumn last year. Foresters, power line maintenance teams and the Uppark gardeners have all had a part in changing the woodland. Trees were felled and trimmed to clear around the power lines that run down through and along the bottom of the woodland. Foresters have thinned out the woodland area with careful, selective felling.

Area of woodland that’s been recently thinned

The Uppark gardeners have been carrying out tree surveys and dealing with damaged and dangerous trees. All of this activity has resulted in a large quantity of felled timber having to be dealt with and you’ll be pleased to know that not a bit of the wood has gone to waste. All of it has been recycled. The larger pieces of timber were removed by the foresters and have been used commercially but the remains have been cut, chopped, chipped and used in a multitude of ways on site at Uppark. In the woodland, the garden team have been repairing the edges to the steps on the woodland path, using posts for the hedge-laying in the car park, making wildlife habitats such as dead hedges and wood piles with the brash, providing lengths of timber for den building and making seats in the woodland.

woodland walk

dead hedges

layed hedge

woodland den

In many parts of the Uppark Garden we have been busy constructing fences, barriers and screens that allow us to repair or develop areas whilst controling access and providing privacy.
In the flower beds and borders plant supports, frames and many other useful things have been created.

sweet pea sticks in the cut flower garden

hazel privacy screen in the scented garden

sweet pea frames in the scented garden

The felling and wood processing also provided an opportunity for garden team members to receive training and experience in woodland management.

All of this activity has changed the physical look of the woodland and by thinning out and opening up the canopy more light will get down to the woodland floor which will encourage a greater range of flora and fauna. The bare and bleak look of winter has now been shed from the woodland as spring takes over and growth and change are the order of the day.

I took a break from my work on the woodland steps recently and went around the woodland walk to see what was on the move and was pleased to see many patches of primroses (Primula vulgaris), violets (Viola odorata), and wood sorrel (Oxalis acetosella) covering the woodland floor. Also a few patches of bluebells (Hyacinthoides non-scripta) and the occasional red campion (Silene dioica) can be seen.
With the changes to the woodland I’m hoping that many of these flower species will flourish and appear in greater numbers in the coming years.

Trees are starting to move with ash trees in bud and hazel and hawthorn showing young leaf. The warmer spring weather we have had recently has moved things on a pace and I have also seen many different species of butterflies in the Uppark garden and woodland already this year including peacock, brimstone, orange tip and comma.

primroses (Primula vulgaris)

violets (Viola odorata)

woodland sorrel

comma butterfly

The woodland is well worth a visit, particularly at this time of year, so if you are visiting Uppark make sure you allow time for the woodland walk, please be aware that there are some steep sections.  To download a woodland walk map click here – Woodland walk   A map is also available from visitor reception.

The woodland walk is looking great at the moment.

Bat conservation at Uppark

 

Habitat management at Uppark

We’ve been discussing the management of the garden, woodland and meadow with wildlife habitats in mind, the main focus to create an environment for bats to thrive at Uppark. Conservation of bats is complex and needs to take account of several factors, including the protection of summer roosts, winter hibernation sites and of habitats where bats feed. All bat roosts are protected by law, even when they are unoccupied.

Summer roosts

During the summer, bats group together to form colonies in roost sites. In most species, the summer roosts are mainly females gathered into ‘maternity colonies’ to have their young – bats usually have one young a year. They spend the day in their roosts, which can be found in a variety of buildings, in tunnels or hollow trees, depending on the species. Most summer colonies disperse in September and October, once the young bats are old enough to fly, many of the bats hibernate at an alternative site from November to April.

Winter hibernation sites

We manage the winter hibernation sites in the service tunnels at Uppark. At the last count in February we recorded these bats roosts: 1 Long-ear, 1 Whiskered, 9 Daubentons and 7 Natterers and evidence of brown long-ear activity in the loft space in the house. Below, visitors observe the protected bat roosts in the tunnels from the viewing area.

In the woodland, bats prefer beech and oak trees; the dominant tree species in the woodland is beech. With some judicious pollarding of young beech trees we’ll be ‘veteranising’ some of our tree stock; managing trees to speed up habitat production. Pollarding is the traditional woodland practice of cutting a tree between 2-5 meters above the ground leaving a permanent trunk which is more resistant to grazing damage.

Feeding

In the UK, bats feed exclusively on insects. Different species have different feeding behaviours. They may catch insects in flight, or pick them off the surface of open water, or from the ground or foliage. On some adjacent private land we have an area of open water (to be used as a fire pond in an emergency situation) which is an excellent feeding site for bats. We also have a feeding site at nearby Engine farm.* In summer, bats emerge from their roosts at dusk to feed. The distances travelled to feeding sites vary considerably, both within and between species. While some species feed close to their roost site, like brown long-eared bats, which normally forage within 1 km of their roost, others fly long distances, some species up to 26km. Bats use a number of foraging sites every night, moving between them to locate areas with high insect densities. Bats frequently return to the same foraging sites on a regular basis, sometimes visiting the same site at the same time each night.  

Viewpoint restoration

We’ll be reducing four existing horse chestnut pollards along the main drive (above) to open up the view through the woodland beyond and to potentially create more roosting sites for bats. Crispin Scott, regional National Trust Wildlife and Countryside adviser commented:

There is a good case for pollarding these trees and haloing around them, together with a bit of crown lifting of an adjacent beech, which would create some excellent pollards with stunning views over their heads.

(Haloing is the management of competing trees around a mature tree, Crown lifting is the selective removal of the lower branches of a tree’s crown to increase the distance between the base of the canopy and ground level) *not accessible to visitors. Events coming up at Uppark House and Garden May 2-4 May Flowers in the house – the garden team decorate the house with flowers from Uppark, normal admission applies. 11 May Dawn chorus walk with Matt Phelps from Winkworth Arboretum (6am-8am) £15 call 01730 825415 to book

Land, outdoors and nature at Uppark

Playing our part

You may have seen recent media coverage explaining that the National Trust has launched an ambitious plan to nurse the natural environment back to health and reverse the alarming decline in wildlife. This is great news for Uppark House and Garden and many other National Trust sites.

The National Trust has said it would challenge itself to develop new, innovative ways of managing land on a large scale, which were good for farmers, good for the economy and good for the environment.

It’s also pledged to work with partners to help look after some of the country’s most important landscapes, reconnecting habitats and bringing back their natural beauty.

The recently launched, 10-year strategy called  ‘Playing our part – What does the nation need from the National Trust in the 21st century?’ outlines four key priority areas:

Looking after our places

• We will spend around £1bn over the next ten years on the conservation of our houses, gardens and countryside, including £300m on clearing the backlog of repairs.
• We will continue to play our part in mitigating climate change: cutting our energy usage by 20% by 2020 and sourcing 50% of that from renewable sources on our land.

Healthy, beautiful natural environment

• Develop new economic models of land use to share with others and champion the role of nature in our lives.
• We will work with our tenant farmers to improve all our land to a good condition.
• We will work with other organisations to conserve and renew the nation’s most important landscapes.

Experiences of our places that move, teach and inspire

• People’s tastes are changing and their expectations continue to grow. We will work harder to give our visitors experiences that are emotionally rewarding, intellectually stimulating and inspire them to support our cause.
• We will invest in major changes at our most visited houses to transform how we tell the story of why the place mattered in the past and why it matters today.

Helping to look after the places people live

• Budget cuts mean that many public green spaces enjoyed by local communities are now under threat. The Trust will explore what role it could play in helping safeguard their future.
• We will also look at ways of supporting local heritage impacted by spending cuts and play a leadership role in the annual Heritage Open Days, the country’s most popular heritage event.

Chairman Tim Parker added:

We can’t solve these issues on our own. Our strategy will see us working more collaboratively with a range of partners to explore new approaches and find new solutions.

We will support where we can and lead where we should.The National Trust has always responded to the challenges of the time. I believe our founders would be proud of our ambitions and the part we plan to play.

Garden volunteer Liz pruning shrubs in the scented garden, Uppark.

So that members can make the most of their membership, most properties will be moving to being open 364 days a year.  Members and supporters will get more personalised information from the Trust about events and activities, and be able to get much better information on digital channels about the places and subjects that interest them.

Dame Helen Ghosh, Director-General:

Our 21st century ambition is to meet the needs of an environment under pressure, and the challenges and expectations of a fast-moving world.

We want to continue to maintain the highest standards of care for everything we look after, while working in a way that feels relevant and necessary to people and their day-to-day lives.

Finally, we want to equip everyone in the Trust with the skills and resources we need to do our jobs with ease and confidence, and feel proud of our work. The strategy explains how we will do that.

Find out more about National Trust’s new strategy. 

All images taken at Uppark House and Garden (and the wider estate).

Photo credits: National Trust/Andy Lewis and Simon Bowler for his image of the East Pavilion (café) with the clock tower. Special thanks to garden volunteers Liz, David and Rae for their enthusiasm for this strategy during tea and lunch break discussions last week and subsequent inspiration for this blog.

Garden volunteers Joy (left) and David (right)

Garden volunteer Rae cutting the grass at Uppark

Winter at Uppark

The leaves of the beech trees at Uppark have fallen, these elegant, undressed trees are a wonderful sight this time of year. I can’t help but admire their simple, graceful and imposing beauty on a fine January day.

This image above was taken in the autumn and the skeletal forms of these woodland trees are becoming clear. The trees have been ‘drawn up’ as they compete with their neighbours in their search for light. In spring the leaves emerge as fresh lime-green silk, delicately unfurling to produce a lime-green zing filled woodland.

This copper beech (above) shed a significant limb last summer. We’re hoping to preserve the beauty of this lovely specimen with some selective pruning to the tree’s crown to take some pressure off this fragile branch union. Below, the copper beech in the meadow has developed into a wonderfully resilient tree. The environment in which both trees grow is very different, one is very exposed in the meadow with very little protection from the prevailing winds. The other nestles close to a flint wall with a buffer of the surrounding woodland and garden. These images show a very similar branch structure and provide evidence of adaptive growth in more challenging locations.

Above the South meadow copper beech in May with the yellow rattle in the foreground, a delicious colour combination.

Below is a curiously shaped beech tree, on the edge of the woodland along the Compton road. I love looking at the simple branch structure against the blue sky, seeing how the trees develop together and become dependent on each other for support. The tree is dominated by two strong, almost vertical secondary branch leaders, the primary leader has been suppressed. The surrounding environmental factors of space and light have affected the growth habit of this beech tree.

The isolated charm of Uppark…such natural beauty. Our new season begins on 7 March, if you’d like to volunteer at Uppark – email uppark@nationaltrust.org.uk or call the office on 01730 825415 – we’d love to hear from you.

A Postcard from Shanghai

I am 6,000 miles from Uppark House and Garden, having a wonderful time, but of course missing gardening and the team.

I have visited a few Chinese gardens on my travels though, and many contain trees and shrubs which also exist at Uppark Garden.

Today I went to Zhujiajiao Town Gardens and saw tree maintenance work in progress. Men were cutting down overhanging branches, equipped with pruning saws, bamboo ladders and straw hats. And the women cleared away the fallen debris.

Shanghai arboriculture

I resisted temptation to help however, and instead admired the immense bamboo, plentiful water features and stunning architecture – all of which are important aspects of any Chinese garden.

Immense bamboo

Off to the swimming pool now – a particularly terrific ‘water feature’ in the complex I am staying at!

Breaking News

For those of you that use the road from South Harting to Uppark beware.

Rae and I spent some time this morning in the Greenhouse at Alitex and on our return to Uppark were confronted with this across the road.

We made a quick U-turn and found our way back to Uppark via an alternative route.
Meanwhile Andy reported the situation to the Council Highway authority.

After also reporting it to the Police we tree fellas (that’s Me, Rae and Andy) went back to the fallen tree to take a closer look.

The offending tree was a rotten Beech which had snapped off at about 15 ft. above the ground as a result of the gale force wind that occurred this morning.

Luckily nobody was injured as a result of the fall.

Fallen Trees Throughout the forest I see fallen trees Old, wrinkled And full of character Year after year They left behind Their leaves, their bark And good feelings about life A resting place For birds and squirrels A shelter place With food for others They took in the sun And made shade They broke in the wind and rain And gave us the calm As they lay in state Still giving Lending life to those now They could not while living And when they died The forest cried Birds stopped singing But their seeds survived. Murphy Payne