"David" wrote ...

Bob Hobden wrote:
"Sacha" wrote

Jeff Layman said:

Bob Hobden wrote:
I understand the National Trust is to try to bring back a
significant number
of it's walled gardens into production. My problem is that I've
heard they
intend to remake the old greenhouses as they were, all manual and in
wood,
instead of using modern materials and automation and things like
double
glazing for the orchid houses. Personally I think that is crazy as
the old
Head Gardeners would never have countenanced such a retrograde step.
What do others think?

Well, if there weren't any Grade 1 or 2 listing, you could make an
argument for double glazing and LED lighting in any NT property. But
they wouldn't look right, and I guess the NT are using a similar
argument for greenhouses.

And would I want to visit such modern greenhouses to see how they
were being used to grow things? I very much doubt it.

Imo, the greenhouses could be made to the old design but use methods
that cut down on labour. We have to remember that these houses would
have had a dozen gardeners. Now, labour costs mean they'd be lucky to
have 3 and some volunteers

Unlike the great houses these greenhouses in many cases do not exist any
more and are only known from the whitewash on the walls and maybe a
rubble wall or two. There is nothing to preserve so a new but
oldfashioned greenhouse is a pastiche of what once was so I see no
problem in making modern greenhouses for the site. OK make them look in
keeping if you must but what period do you choose as these gardens
constantly changed with changing gardening practice, their purpose was
to grow food and flowers for the big house.


So you think a multi bay Venlo would be OK?

I doubt that would be needed to feed the "house" with fresh fruit and veg,
they tend to be used for monoculture (or garden centres).
But why not if the brief "feed the house" warranted it, certainly any Head
Gardener with the same brief as old would be using polytunnels these days to
grow the more delicate fruit and veg to perfection and out of season. But
polytunnels are probably a step into the modern world too far for the NT in
one of these walled gardens.

My comments were about rebuilding the derelict greenhouses in a modern way
which would help the gardeners, the plants and prove more durable, maybe
even cheaper too especially in the long run.

A few modern walled gardens spread around the country would be a great help
to the NT gardeners, they would get experience of up to the moment
equipment, ideas and plant production, as would the NT customers, instead of
the constant showing of the Victorian garden (but without all their highly
poisonous chemicals being mentioned) which I find rather boring and overdone
now.
--
Regards. Bob Hobden.
Posted to this Newsgroup from the W of London, UK