JP Gardening

26/08/2026

Back at National Trust Dinefwr and the Topiary is having a much needed trim.

20/08/2026

Happy results day to my kid, you have smashed it out of the park. All your hard work paid off, I'm so proud of you

02/08/2026

Turned out to be a very good Sunday skate, lots of country folk around singleton park with cowboy hats and good music, summer in nashville.

01/08/2026

So pleased with the flower border I did for my parents and to honour all the dogos we buried there, not been 3 months since planting and it's flowering with such vigor. I hope this time next year it is even better.

12/07/2026

Probably one of the greatest achievements of my life, serving HRH at Highgrove Gardens

This week's blog is by student gardener, Jason Paine, it is his last as a student with us as his year comes to an end...

"As part of the Bursary Student Training programme, we are given the opportunity to carry out a student work placement. I wrote to The King's Foundation and was successful in gaining a work placement at Highgrove Gardens, Gloucestershire.

The gardens were in full bloom and I was absolutely in awe of what has been created there. It is one thing to see the garden in pictures but breathtaking to witness in person.

First, I spent time with the Ornamental team learning about the thyme walk and main lawn, with beautiful plantings of herbs and flowering perennials. We weeded around the Lily pool garden, looking upon the avenue of shaped topiary which was something to behold.

My second task was working with the Amenity team, working in the famous stumpery. In amongst the lush green hostas and ferns, I was given the honour of helping to plant some new additions. Some of the plants I helped to plant were Hosta ‘His Majesty’ and Dryopteris affinis ‘Cristata The King’ which had interesting crested tips.

I also worked in the meadow with the team helping to add tufted vetch to increase the flower diversity. It was full of biodiverse flowers and insect life. Another aspect to Highgrove is organic gardening, which works with nature rather than against. Whilst working in the gardens I’m sure I also noticed permaculture principles at work, with green waste being composted for re use in the gardens.

Finally for my last day I spent my time with the Kitchen Garden team and Head Gardener, this was an absolute privilege. I was given the opportunity to harvest some vegetables and plant up some new giant pots.

The plant of the week for me was The King’s Rose by David Austin, a fantastic multi coloured pink and white striped shrub rose.

I would like to thank everyone who came together to make this possible, it has given me the experience of a lifetime and I have learnt so many new things that I can take forward in my gardening career."

06/07/2026

Trimming the topiary cones in the walled garden at Aberglasney Gardens pretty much my final job to finish the student bursary and it has been a blast.

23/06/2026

Another beautiful day at Aberglasney and a freshly mowed lush lawn.