The Kemp Town Enclosures - Jubilee Garden Project

We are soon going to be starting an exciting new renovation project on the south west lawn of the gardens which will be called the Jubilee garden. It will include reinstating a garden path that was part of the original Regency design of the garden. This path will pass through two large new shrub borders as it winds down to the south west gate. Creating a beautiful new feature for the south west lawn which will be historically accurate, create year round interest, have attractive sheltered seating and will increase the bio-diversity of the garden. There will also be six new trees planted in the garden to commemorate the jubilee.

The opportunity to create this project has arisen because we are unfortunately going to have to fell some attractive trees. The trees are the group opposite 11/12 Lewes Crescent, which come far out across the road. These trees are mostly Monterey Cypress which unfortunately have brittle limbs with the tendency to break. They have in previous years broken off and landed on cars, some of you may also remember the tree in the central bed that snapped in half in the spring of 2008. The trees against the railings have now grown so large they have become potenially dangerous and are also lifting and pulling the railings apart.

After extensive talks with arboriculturalists and with the council tree preservation officers we have all reluctantly come to the same conclusion that the only way to proceed is to fell the trees and start again. This does mean felling all the trees in the group, which is a pity, but because they have grown together as a group each individual tree has only had light on one side and is therefore brown, dead and unsightly on the other side and this won't grow back. Also by exposing one side the trees, they become even more vulnerable to wind damage.

So while the trees will be missed we believe that as the new Jubilee garden grows up it will become a beautiful, sustainable attractive addition to the garden for people and wildlife to enjoy for years to come.

Gallery

The following photos show the damage to the Monterey Cypress trees, the railings and the original tree.