Sussex burning!
It's not often you get to see a garden burning, but that's what I saw this week.... and here are some pictures showing what happened.
On a freezing day here in Britain, a unique garden went up in flames! Acres of prairie plants burned to the ground in huge fires, swept by an icy East wind.
But fear not, this is all part of the annual cycle at Sussex Prairies, which many of you have now read about or been to see in recent months .... and by next year, the garden will be back in bloom ....
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| Sussex Prairies in May |
The "burning" is carefully orchestrated by owners Paul and Pauline McBride every winter, in preparation for the months to come.
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| Sussex Prairies in July |
And by May, the garden will be open again for visitors to enjoy ...
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| Sussex Prairies in November |
All part of the cycle of a prairie garden throughout the year ....
Oh my gosh, at first I was horrified because this is one of my favorite gardens that you have shared. I was glad to read that it was a controlled burn and things will be blooming again in a few months.
ReplyDeleteHave a great weekend.
FlowerLady
Out of the ashes, so much beauty. American Indians use to burn the prairies to promote new grass for the buffalo. Nature's cycle is turely amazing
ReplyDeleteinteresting..., like demolishing old buildings preparing for new ones.
ReplyDeleteAmazing pictures. Thanks for sharing them. Glad that's part of nature and not a disaster. Looking at the 'after' pictures, it seems all part of the program. It makes sense.
ReplyDeleteBushfires here play an important part in the life cycle of the bushland, and in particular native trees such as our Gums and Melaleucas. It's amazing to see the re-generation and re-growth happening after such devastation. Strange to see this event in icy England though!
ReplyDeleteLoved the winter burning photos mixed with the prairie in other seasons. Thanks so much!
ReplyDeleteWho would have thought that a garden open to the public during growing season could recover so quickly from a planned and orchestrated burning? I am pleasantly surprised to see it to be true!
ReplyDeleteThat is truly amazing, isn't it! You had me fooled, too. I'm glad it was a controlled burn. We have a lot of Oak Savannas around here that ideally would naturally burn once or twice a year. This article is kind of interesting: www.savannaoak.org/controlburns.html. Thanks for sharing the photos of the before and after. What a beautiful place!
ReplyDeleteLOVELY BLOG!
ReplyDeleteInteresting prairie life cycle! The fire shots are quite impressive.
ReplyDeleteGood headliner :)
ReplyDeleteI have never seen a whole garden undergo such a burn, just sections. Quite dramatic. It seems to have beautiful results!
For some plants fire is a necessity. Banksia seedpods need a fire to open, to release the seed. I am sure it was a dramatic sight in winter to see a garden burn. T♥
ReplyDeleteDear Charlotte, Amazing! You had me worried for a moment. P. x
ReplyDeleteWow, that was dramatic. I thought it was an act of vandalism at first. So glad I was wrong. And the end results are amazing.
ReplyDeleteCrickey! I was worried initially... Huge blaze. I sometimes wish we could do the same with our field. Having lived in Kenya, where everyone had large gardens and fields, this practice is quite common. It seemed to the do the ground much good as the regrowth was always staggering.
ReplyDeletebut things like bulbs and some perenials, are they surviving to this? Congratulations on your blog, I love it!
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