Field of Dreams, Barcroft Hall

Statement on the home page of their web site. 
Link shown below

Flowers Status: Field of Dreams 2013 is now closed   Grass Car Park Status: Closed

Due to adverse horticultural conditions the Field of Dreams will not be open for 2013 but please register for 2014 when we will have an even larger display and more facilities.

But still come and visit the village, enjoy the lovely shops, a great pub and a short walk! 


(Download Map Here)http://www.barcrofthall.co.uk/Pages/default.aspx

The Heat of the Moment

The Heat of the Moment

Another Block Buster from George!

When I have read it again I'll try to comment. Just thinking about its subject is challenging enough right now.

Barcroft Hall- The Field of Dreams

The publicity given to the wild flowers sown on the Olympic Park is mirrored by the large numbers of people visiting Barcroft Hall. The Royal Horticultural Society provides some pictures showing parts of the  Olympic Park. Click here for the RHS web site:     or use this URL.    http://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/Plant-features/Olympic-Park-plants.

You can also see a list of plants sown in the Field of Dreams on the Barcroft Hall web site.

It was a bit cloudy this afternoon and some of the brightness of the flowers left the photographs.  The display was spectacular as last year. It appeared that the flowers were not so tall and maybe the planting density was a bit lower. That such a display should survive the earlier wet conditions is a tribute to the resilience of nature. There is much food for thought from the use of wild flower seed from around the world. I was pleased to see bees and other insects, on for instance the sunflowers, but not many butterflies but then the lack of the sunshine must have reduced the number flying as it does on our own native flower meadow.  

The separate field of sun flowers is perhaps the most visually dramatic image for me.

I was pleased to revist this year, almost on the same date as 2011. I certainly think if you are interested in wild flowers regardless of their normal habitat then a visit to see the display for yourself is recommended.

I hope the experiment continues next year and I will give some thought to making comment as Brian and Denise  Herrick have invited.  

Here are a few of my photos.

The first shows a child with a large collection of balloons running on a path through the field for the benefit of a professional photographer!  

The others show various views through the field.

Wildflowers at the Olympic Park. Should our traditional nature reserves add non native flowers?

Extract from an  article in the Gurdian Newspaper.

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Click here to see the article  Guardian.co.uk

Matthew Appleby.

If you want to see the big ideas coming out of British horticulture, there's no better – or bigger – showcase than the gardens and meadows of the Olympic Park in Stratford.

The 250-hectare site in east London has been filled with 4,000 trees, 300,000 wetland plants, 15,000 square metres of lawns and more than 150,000 perennial plants, in an ambitious scheme designed to delight visitors to the Games and leave a legacy of a permanent park once the Olympics are over.

First, there are the wildflower meadows, 10 football fields-worth of them, carefully planned and sown to reach their peak just in time for the torch's arrival in east London next Friday, and sporting a suitably Olympic gold colour scheme. Wildflowers are having a moment: sales of cornflowers, field poppies and other pollinator-friendly blooms have tripled this year, influenced by Sarah Raven's TV programme Bees, Butterflies And Blooms, and Chelsea show gardens packed with wispy natives.

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Please read the full article.

Interesting comments about the use of non native species which is not a new feature of the English countryside. Many plants seem to have been introduced many years ago.

This links well with the differing points of view generated by the "Fields of Dreams" in South Petherton which are currently benefiting no doubt from the sunshine. By comparison our 4 acre meadow in Curry Rivel is managed to show off plants and flowers which are native to this part of Somerset. Its a challenging thought to consider changing our policy to deliberately  bring in , say , flowers from South Africa or elsewhere. We have a meeting of our management group and I might ask for opinions on the subject. 

Gardens:wildflowers at the Olympic Park

Barcroft Hall, South Petherton.

I recently received the email copied below which gives up to date information about the Field of Dreams. I am hoping to visit soon after the opening date of 30th June.

This is a very big experiment in creating a wild flower meadow out of derelict farm land and produced a wonderful display last summer. I took this photo last summer:

As usual more information is on their web . Click here:

Or copy this web address:  www.barcrofthall.co.uk

Brian and Denise have worked hard to create the meadows , orchards and gardens and support local charities and I hope eventually to persuade them to support Somerset Wildlife Trust not just because of their Field of Dreams but because of the work done throughout their estate.

The conservation techniques employed here are somewhat different to the usual approach of the Wildlife Trust  but I feel its a good idea to visit to get your own view of their efforts across the whole of their estate.

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From: Brian Herrick <brian.herrick@leisuredata.com>

Subject: 'FIELD OF DREAMS 2012' AND 'OPERA THROUGH THE FLOWERS'

Date: 29 May 2012 14:04:01 GMT+01:00

To: Brian Herrick <brian.herrick@leisuredata.com>

Hi Everyone

It seems like summer is here at last!

I thought I would write and let you know that the Field of Dreams 2012, despite the difficult spring weather is flourishing and  and we hope to see the first blooms within weeks, ready for the gates to open on Saturday June 30^th. 2012.

This year there are over 60 different wildflower species planted and an even larger area for you to enjoy!

So if you are thinking of visiting us please register as soon as you know your plans.

For those who are wanting to come to the wonderful ‘Opera through the Flowers’ on July 7^th. then I would strongly advise you to book as early as possible as it is proving very popular indeed and there is a limited number of tickets available. It’s an evening designed for everyone to enjoy!

You can book by telephoning 01444 443000 or on line

All other details about this year’s Field of Dreams, accommodation, places to eat and directions are to found by visiting www.barcrofthall.co.uk

Thanks so much for your support, all for charity!

With best wishes

Book Now for ‘Opera Through the Flowers’ 2012 Book Here: http://www.barcrofthall.co.uk/Pages/OperaThroughTheFlowers.aspx

See the Field of Dreams on BBC Gardeners World here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01g8g28

Brian & Denise Herrick

‘Field of Dreams’
Barcroft Hall, North Street,South Petherton,Somerset, UK, TA13 5DA
web: www.barcrofthall.co.uk

 

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