Stone Lane Gardens, on the edge of the Dartmoor National Park, is a beautiful woodland and water garden , open to the public all year round. We have important National Collections of Birch and Alder trees, collected in the wild from all over the world and were recently awarded Botanic Garden status.
But our world was thrown into chaos on Thursday 21st November, when a huge snow storm hit the garden. It bent the trees double, flattening shrubs and breaking off large branches.
Unprecedented destruction, the worst in the 50 years since the garden's creation.
As we started to assess the damage and begin the clear-up, Storm Bert's gale force winds brought several more trees crashing to the ground and deposited debris all over the garden. It was a horrible and heart-breaking sight. The Garden has had to be closed while we start the depressing task of removing the masses of debris and making the area safe.
Our trees have been wild-collected from all over the world, many of them rarely seen in the UK, and after years of nurture, a few days of storms has simply left them in pieces. Visitors come from far and wide to experience our peaceful and spiritual woodland garden, and we are left devastated by the task of clearing up the damage and replanting for the future.
This is why we need your help. If you are able to make a donation, even a few pounds, then you will be helping get this garden back on its feet.
All of this extra work comes at a time of harsh economic woes. The charity is having to divert scarce funds and resources to repair the garden, which is limiting our normal operations and threatens our existence.
Please consider making a donation to our appeal, so that we can ensure our garden can continue to flourish and once again be a beautiful space for old and young to enjoy.
Some detail about Stone Lane Gardens
Stone Lane Gardens is a charity, set up in 2011 by June Ashburner after the death of her husband Kenneth Ashburner, who created the garden back in the 1970s.
Our aims are
1. To advance the education of the public by the provision and maintenance of an arboretum containing National collections of birch (Betula) and alder (Alnus) and by researching Birch and Alder and associated organisms in order to share knowledge and increase the scientific understanding of the genera.
2. To promote the conservation, protection and improvement of the physical and natural environment, in particular by a) the preservation of rare and endangered species contained within the arboretum; b) promoting the cultivation and distribution of Birch and Alder trees in order to create greater awareness of the environmental benefits of planting trees, creating new wildlife habitats and increase biodiversity; c) preserving the Ashburner Arboretum for its merit as an example of innovative (naturalistic) and outstanding landscape design.
3. To advance education of the public in the understanding and appreciation of the arts and garden design by organising exhibitions, events and encouraging high standards of arts.
Some of the things we do:
- We maintain a beautiful woodland and water garden for the public to enjoy all year round.
- We host a summer sculpture exhibition that supports local artists and provides a shop window for their work.
- We run a tree nursery, where we grow and distribute trees throughout the UK. We encourage tree planting to help improve gardens, enrich lives and enhance biodiversity.
- We educate visitors about the research and conservation work we carry out. Our trees have been a vital source of material for scientists at Queen Mary University of London and the British Museum.
- We welcome school and adult groups, and provide a restful, peaceful space for visitors to enjoy.
- We hold music and outdoor theatre events, for the benefit of local communities.