In memoriam Paul Akers – Paul sadly passed away this spring. He was our arboretum consultant for around 15 years, and a great friend to the team.  He is pictured here on his last trip with Paul Baynes, Head Gardener, and Mark Lane CVO who took over from him on his retirement, to Wisley last September.  He will be much missed. 

The wet weather of this spring and early summer has done wonders for the trees and plants in the Beale Arboretum.  For instance the Azalea bed has had an excellent spring.

Fox blight in our buxus has plagued us for several years, and we are now removing all box at the arboretum including here in front of the hotel, where the pots have been replaced with Taxus (yew). 

The tenth generation of Beales, in the form of Louise aged six, has been helping with the gardening at the hotels, here replanting the border at our sister hotel, the Bell Hotel in Saxmundham, Suffolk. 

Our large male Ginkgo biloba has fruited for a second time in six years, an unusual characteristic of these ancient trees.

Our consultant Mark Lane CVO and I met with the distinguished horticulturalist Tom Christian to discuss our impending National Collection of Sequoiadendron giganteum and here is a photo of Tom with myself by a Giant Redwood that we only planted in 2015!  

         

Muntjac deer have attacked our National Collection of Carpinus betulus CVS with the small deer having even climbed up the tree – pictured here is the lovely Carpinus b. ‘Pendula’. 

The ever-expanding Malus (crab apple) collection has been glorious in May.

The Cedrus Atlantica (Atlas Cedar) continues to thrive in the Beale Arboretum at well over two centuries old, and the only problem is expanding the tree circle as the tree moves steadily outwards!

The weeping willow Salix babylonica suffered badly in Storm Henk but has bounced back as willows do.

 

Dozens of trees have been planted this spring, including :