A generous donation from the National Trust members of the North and West Wiltshire National Trust Association has brought new life to The Courts Garden, Holt. The new eco-friendly water harvesting and filtration system funded by the association will help protect the many special plants National Trust gardeners look after.
The new system enables the gardeners at The Courts to irrigate the entire plant production nursery from rain water harvested on site. Three transport containers contain the rain water collected from The Courts’ roof spaces, with each one holding up to 1520 litres of water.
Housed in a shed made from recycled timber, the system also includes a UV filtration lamp to kill harmful bacteria and an additional filter to remove large particles from the collected water. This purer water is then pumped through into the irrigation beds in The Courts’ poly tunnel and cold frame, where many of the more vulnerable plants are grown, as well as to a stand pipe for the gardeners’ hosepipes.
‘The group’s kind donation has revolutionised how we care for the garden,’ says Head Gardener, Paul Alexander. ‘As well as saving water and time, the filtration lamp means the cleanest water and happy, healthy plants for visitors to enjoy.’
The system’s high-tech irrigation beds were designed and fitted by CPMR Ltd from Plymouth and follow a similar spec as those at the National Trust’s Plant Conservation Centre in East Devon.
‘It really is the best of the best,’ explains Paul, ‘it comes with a timer that means we can control the irrigation to the minute. So the plants we look after, all with different needs, can have a tailored growing experience.’
Visitors can enjoy the beautiful plants, flowers and trees of The Courts Garden, Holt every day (except Wednesdays) until Sunday 3 November.
More information is available on www.nationaltrust.org.uk/the-courts-garden
