Behind The Scenes: BSU Grounds
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Behind the scenes: Keeping BSU’s green space looking beautiful
Monday, 28 October, 2024BSU’s Newton Park campus is known for its beautiful grounds and idyllic countryside setting. Its rich history runs back to the seventeenth century with the majority of the grounds, especially around the lake area, originally landscaped by Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown in 1761. But how does it stay looking so pristine in the present day?
The Grounds team, headed up by manager Penny Snowden and accompanied by four other members of full-time staff, work around the greenspaces of Newton Park to prune, cut and plant all year round. As we head into Autumn, there is no shortage of tasks to be done around campus and it was clear to hear how passionate Penny is about keeping the campus looking its best. Penny commented:
“It's lovely, I've got one of the best jobs. I’m very lucky to be able to do this.”
Speaking to Penny on a sunny walk around the lake about her current jobs list, there are an exciting array of seasonal jobs to complete, starting with leaf clearing. The process begins as leaves are collected and left in piles around campus. They decompose naturally as they are left to the elements, creating a rich substance known as ‘leaf mould’ that is then used around campus as a more sustainable alternative to compost. Penny added:
“We gardeners get really excited about this, I know it’s sad, but its black gold. Really good stuff and it means as much as possible we can try to compost and process on site.”
As sustainability is one of the key values at BSU, the team are always looking for ways to keep the grounds regenerating themselves and minimise any negative impact on the environment.
One mission for this season has also been giving the Walled Garden Greenhouses a facelift. Starting with the exterior, the frames are painted with linseed-based paint, which as well as being historically accurate keeps the wood healthy through the winter. Maintenance inside the greenhouse stretches from removing dead leaves off plants to the intricate task of washing the gravel in the plant beds by hand. Sharing her extensive knowledge, Penny stated:
“This allows for the good organic debris to be kept and put back, while unwanted bugs and beasties are washed away. It’s all about keeping the greenhouse as hygienic as possible.”
As the landscape changes with the seasons, there is always something new and beautiful to see around campus. To catch more behind the scenes content on the BSU grounds, the team have their own Instagram account: @bsu_grounds