Sweet Chestnut, Isabella Plantation, Richmond Park

Sweet Chestnut, Isabella Plantation, Richmond Park.
The Isabella Plantation is an ornamental woodland garden in Richmond Park, full of exotic plants. In 1831, Lord Sidmouth, the park deputy ranger, fenced off the 42 acre area and planted oak, beech and sweet chestnut trees as a crop for timber and gave the area the name it has today. The present garden of clearings, ponds and streams was established from the 1950s. It is largely the work of George Thomson, the park superintendent from 1951-1971. Along with his head gardener, Wally Miller, he removed Rhododendron ponticum from large areas and replaced it with other rhododendron species. They established evergreen Kurume Azaleas around the Still Pond and planted other exotic shrub and tree species. The main stream through the garden from Broomfield Gate was dug in 1960 and the plantation was enlarged to include Peg's Pond. More recently, in 1989, a wild stream was dug in the northern section and this has now been colonized by ferns, water plantains and brook lime. The Bog Garden was reconstructed in 2000. The garden now has 15 known varieties of deciduous azalea and houses the national collection of 50 Kurume Azaelas, introduced to the west around 1920 by the plant collector, Ernest Wilson. There are also 50 different species of rhododendron and 120 hybrids. In spring, camellias, magnolias, as well as daffodils and bluebells can be seen. From late April, the azaleas and rhododendrons are in flower. In summer, there are displays of Japanese irises and day lilies. By autumn, guelder rose, rowan and spindle trees are loaded with berries and leaves on the acer trees are turning red. Even in winter, the gardens have scent and colour. There are early camellias and rhododendron, as well as mahonia, winter-flowering heathers and stinking hellebore. Isabella Plantation is run on organic principles. Its luscious ground cover and mature trees make good habitat for wildlife and it is part of the Richmond Park Site of Special Scientific Interest. It is a particularly good place to see birds. Resident species include redpoll, bullfinch, wood pecker, sparrow hawk and tawny owl.