The Sherborne, Dorset’s landmark destination for the arts and events, opened its doors in May 2024 after years of careful restoration. A big part of the transformation was the outdoor space, and we are delighted to have been part of such an exciting and positive project in Sherborne.

The garden was designed by Angela Morley, a wildlife friendly garden designer, and Castle Gardens advised, supplied and planted the plants, once it had been prepared by Tom Carter and his team. As soil is such an important base for plants to establish and thrive, we began by adding a soil conditioner. Rootgrow, a naturally occurring mycorrhizal fungi to aid establishment and support continued soil and plant health was also added to ensure the plants were given the best start. We then used Bloomin Amazing for mulch, a no-dig and peat free soil enricher and weed inhibitor, which is a by-product of the production of renewable energy in Poundbury.

All the plants will be watered with harvested rainwater, which is not only better for plants as there are no chemicals added to the water, but also prevents the water building up in our fields, roads and rivers. The Sherborne has installed an impressive system, where the rain is collected from the buildings’ roofs and stored in tanks that feed into a network of pipes, which then run through the borders and keeps the plants gently watered through seephoses.

We hope the community gets as much joy from The Sherborne as we did in working on the project. We look forward to seeing how it enriches the local area as a landmark for the arts.

Mike