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Sacha[_3_] · 24-07-2008, 10:53 AM posted to uk.rec.gardening

On 24/7/08 09:43, in article ,
"Martin" wrote:

On Wed, 23 Jul 2008 21:59:40 +0100, Sacha wrote:

On 23/7/08 20:32, in article
, "Judith in
France" wrote:

On Jul 23, 1:31 pm, Martin wrote:
On Wed, 23 Jul 2008 10:28:31 +0100, Sacha
wrote:
A local WI went recently so it seems to be a case of belonging to a
certain
group which then applies but there's a long waiting list. The famous
tulip
'walk' has just about gone btw. It took something like ten thousand bulbs
every year and was just too labour intensive. Our guide told us that the
Prince has been given 30,000 (she thinks but surely not?!) snakeshead
fritillary bulbs by the pop star, Sting and these will be planted in that
area.

The Keukenhof plants several million bulbs every year. If they can do it,
Prince
Charles should be able to manage 10,000.

How did his afternoon tea compare with your own cream teas?
--

Martin

I've been to the Keukenhof , I loved the Acers.

Judith

I've never been there but I think they probably have more workers on the
land and of course, it's commercial. ;-)

They use casual labour to do the planting when required.

The PoW is hardly hard up.

It isn't a question of being hard up but you must know his finances are
scrutinised closely. If he employed 40 extra workers to plant tulip bulbs
*every year* there would be some very critical comment. As it is, I think
there are 9 gardeners there but I'm not at all sure of that number. The
previous head gardener used to give some of the gardeners a thousand tulip
bulbs each and tell them they could go home when they'd planted them all!
I think security would rule out the employing of casual labour at Highgrove.
There is a story of some of the staff chatting over coffee with some of the
police guards one morning. One of the police asked another chap what his
job was on the estate and he said he was cataloguing all the trees and when
asked how long that would take, said he was finishing that day. The
policeman looked at him in horror and said "but how is it we've never seen
you checking in and out each day? In fact, we've never seen you at all."
The man said "I come to work on a bicycle and wheel it through a gap in the
hedge". I need hardly say that particular route was plugged up pretty
smartish!

--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon