Spring is the Light at the End of the Poly-Tunnel

As we find ourselves enduring a cold and quite winter-y winter, our gardens will soon be waking from their slumber. Staff are already working hard behind the scenes, ensuring everything is ready for the incoming spring season. While the gardens may still seem dormant, there are some exciting signs of life – snowdrops and snowflakes are already starting to make an appearance, while Daffodils are shooting up, preparing to brighten our space with their beautiful yellow blooms.

Plans for 2025

In January, we are focused on an important task: weeding. Head Gardener Martin, alongside his team, is carefully tending to all areas of the site including the Bog Garden, preparing it for the year ahead. But perhaps one of the most exciting jobs on our list concerns the vegetable garden. This patch will soon be home to an array of crops including carrots, parsnips, beetroot, and climbing beans, to name just a few.

Martin said: “Last year, the vegetable patch wasn’t quite as much of a focus for us, as we concentrated more on the flower gardens.

So, this year, we’re really looking to make it one of our priorities over the coming 12 months. Growing our own food that benefits both our students and animals, and gives us all a real lesson in the journey from seed through to harvesting our food.”

Inside our polytunnel, we’ll be growing plants such as cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, and even watermelon!

Herbs will also feature prominently in 2025. These diverse plants will be a wonderful addition, offering our Head Chef, Dave, at The Dovecote Café, the chance to include our very own homegrown produce in his dishes. If you’re curious about what’s cooking, be sure to have a look at our menu for The Dovecote Café.

Martin added: “We’ve not grown a lot of herbs in the past. So, when Dave mentioned he’d like to be able to use plants we’ve grown here at The Walled Garden, we thought, why not?”

The beauty of our garden is not just in its plants and vegetables, but also in its educational purpose. The vegetables grown here will be tended to by EMA students, providing a hands-on learning experience in growing and gardening practices. The crops will not only support the college’s hospitality courses, where students can use them in their cooking classes, but any leftovers will go towards feeding our animals. It’s a great example of how nature and education come together here at The Walled Garden.

If you would like to know more about EMA and our courses, head to our college website.

We look forward to checking in with the garden team again soon, and keeping you all up to date on how it’s going behind the scenes.

At the Walled Garden here in Moreton, we take great pride in offering a wonderful day out for families, friends, or simply a peaceful walk with your dog. We invite you to visit us as the gardens and flowers begin to emerge from their winter rest. Conveniently located just a stone’s throw from Dorchester, and a short drive from Wool, Weymouth, and Poole, we have free parking and the gardens are a suggested donation entry of £3. We look forward to welcoming you soon.