How an ancient woodland technique helps Hillsborough Castle’s gardens to thrive

What type of trees do we use in coppicing?

The willow trees around the lake are on a five-year coppicing rotation. In the winter, we cut down approximately one-fifth of the willow to ground level. 

Other trees, such as hazel or lime, also work well for coppicing. Coppiced hazel trees can be found in the Walled Garden, while lime trees are planted next to Lady Alice’s Temple.

You can identify a coppiced tree by the many thin trunks or ‘poles’ growing from the base. Poles over 10cm are kept for firewood, while shorter poles are used as supports for beans and peas in the Walled Garden structures.

The benefits of mulch: from reducing weeds to landscaping

Mulch helps to retain water in the soil in the summer and acts as a blanket in the winter by keeping the heat in.

Mulch also blocks light, stopping weed seeds from germinating and reducing the time our gardeners spend weeding.

Woodchip mulch is also used on the borders under the Rhododendrons in the Lost Garden, and to create paths alongside the Barefoot Walk and to the bird hide, which visitors can look out for on the Imaginary Menagerie trail.

A quick tip for sustainable gardening at home

If you don’t have a chipper for your garden, you can also use the poles to build a dead hedge. This structure is made from wood cuttings and creates a wonderful habitat for birds to hide and nest in. We also keep a dead hedge at the top of the Lost Garden, so why not try making your own for your garden?

Improving biodiversity

Coppicing is a great method for improving biodiversity, benefiting plants and wildlife in our gardens in numerous ways.

Creating habitats for wildlife

Cutting trees every year has increased the number of habitats for wildlife at Hillsborough’s gardens. This includes birds (such as nestling warblers), invertebrates and insects.

Impacting the lifespan of trees

The technique also prolongs the lifespan of trees. Old trees will naturally shed branches to extend their life, but coppicing stimulates the tree to begin this process earlier.

Coppicing trees can also control their size in a domestic garden, encouraging healthy growth.

Encouraging plants and flowers to grow

When an area is coppiced, more sunlight can enter the woodland floor, allowing other plants to thrive. In our gardens, bluebells, wood anemones and marsh marigolds bloom the next year, followed by brambles and honeysuckle.

We encourage their growth, as they provide nutritious plant foods for wildlife, nectar for pollinators and dense thickets for birds to nest.