Station Planting

Following the impressive redevelopment of the station, Gascoyne Cecil are keen to progress plans to ensure that the area becomes an attractive gateway to Hatfield. As part of its long term commitment to the neighbourhood, Gascoyne Cecil have signed up to a Station adoption agreement – a partnership between the Estate, the rail operator (GTR) and local residents. The expert team and contractors who are more typically maintaining the beautiful gardens around Hatfield House designed a new planting scheme and have been putting it steadily in place throughout the spring and summer months.

“As you can imagine, the work presented a number of unique challenges,” said head gardener, Alastair, “for example, barrowing water across to water the plants!”

The aim is that in time the planting regime will be fairly self sufficient, but since flora are vulnerable when young, and the station beds are hard-landscaped and exposed to the elements and therefore unforgiving, it is important to help them adapt to their new environment.

The design reflects the current tastes in the gardens at Hatfield, and has been laid out with thought given to what can survive in the specific conditions around the station.

So what has been planted?

Rosa regosa (Beach rose, from Japan)

Iris sibirica (Siberian iris)

Salvia nachtvlinder

Hydrangeas

Ceanothus (California lilac)

Petunias

Japanese anemone hybrida

Yew which will be clipped into slightly topiarised shapes to echo some of the things in the garden here. These will also give the beds some structural form, but will take a while to catchup.

Perovskia ‘blue spire’, also to mirror the East and West gardens. We’re assured this is “tough as old boots and will flower very beautifully and even has nice foliage.”

What happens now?

We will finish the planting during the autumn, and we will be calling for volunteers in due time to help tend to the beds.