On Thursday 4 May The Friends of The Savill Garden met in the marquee on the Lawns of The Savill Garden for a special coffee morning to celebrate the Coronation of Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla.
The Friends arrived in good time, resplendent in red, white, and blue to soak up the sun and enjoy the view over The Savill Garden before we started our coffee morning.
We began with committee updates first, and then John Anderson, Keeper of The Gardens, gave us a little taster of his recent expedition to Northern India, of which we will be hearing more about later in the year.
John then led a colourful stream of over eighty Friends through The Savill Garden to the far gate and into Chapel Wood for the next stage of the morning – the tree planting.
Quercus imbricaria, the shingle oak
John explained to us that he had chosen an oak tree as these are favoured by His Majesty The King. The variety is Quercus imbricaria, the shingle oak, native to the Midwestern and Upper South regions of North America, which should be suitable for our changing climate. In time the tree should grow to between fifteen to eighteen metres in height. The leaves have a smoother edge than our native oak and we can look forward to them emerging with bright red colour in spring and turning a darker red in autumn.
John Anderson, Keeper of the Gardens, planting the Quercus imbricaria.
We returned to the Lawns to enjoy the pleasant weather and each other’s company with the delicious finger buffet and Coronation Cup provided by Benugo.
Our thanks go to the Windsor Great Park team and Benugo for arranging the marquee and display, and for providing the buffet.
Thanks also go to Patricia Craven and her team for preparing the tree for the ceremonial planting in Chapel Wood Arboretum.
Written by: Diana Bendall, Chair of The Friends of The Savill Garden
