Knoll Gardens is supporting National Tree Week by including a selection of its rare and unusual specimen trees on its garden map for the first time.
Best known for its naturalistic planting style, the east Dorset garden also boasts a mini-arboretum. Alongside a woodpecker-friendly English Oak grow a selection of trees from around the world including some very unusual Australasian examples such as Eucalyptus rodwayi (Swamp Peppermint), one of the largest specimens in the country and rarely found in British arboreta. Other unusual specimens include one of the oldest tree species, the ‘living fossil’ Gingko biloba, the Willow oak, Quercus phellos, one of the best specimens in the UK, and the elm, Ulmus americana ‘Princeton’ planted by Roy Lancaster in 2006.
“Our garden visitors often ask us about our trees,” said Knoll’s owner, Neil Lucas. “This year we decided to mark National Tree Week by including a selection of them on our garden map for the first time. We hope that finding out a little more about these splendid specimens will encourage people to take more interest in the trees around them and do something positive for their local treescape.”
Knoll Gardens is four miles east of Wimborne off the A31 and opens Tuesday to Saturday, from 10am – 4pm. The garden map is free to garden visitors. For more information call 01202 873931 or go to www.knollgardens.co.uk
National Tree Week is the UK’s largest celebration of trees encouraging tree planting activities across the country. This year it takes place from 23 November–1 December. More information about National Tree Week events can be found at www.treecouncil.org.uk/community-action/national-tree-week.
