Welsh Slate is Just the Medicine For a New Public Garden
Welsh Slate pavers and pathways star at Treborth Botanic Gardens’ new Welsh Herbal Garden.
A new public garden with Welsh Slate at its centrepiece is set to be officially opened this spring.
The new Welsh Herbal Garden forms a central part of the 45-acre Treborth Botanic Garden, which is owned by Bangor University and is one of only seven accredited botanical gardens in the country. It is located adjacent to a Conservation Area and is a Site of Special Scientific Interest.
The Welsh Slate centrepiece, installed by countryside management specialists Kehoe Countryside, comprises a 2.5m diameter circular mural of pavers of Welsh Slate’s Penrhyn Heather Blue riven slate – two rings around the circumference and “spokes” emanating to them from the centre.
Designed by Nicola Oakey, the ½-acre garden will be utilised by students of the university’s North Wales Medical School as a teaching resource to reflect modern as well as historical uses of plants as sources of medicines.
Taking inspiration from the Welsh landscape and using local materials, the design centres around two circular seating spaces connected by gently curving pathways. Raised drystone planters provide seating and the opportunity to get up close with the planting.
The rich and vibrant planting will tell the story of how people in Wales, including the 12th Century Physicians of Myddfai, used plants to treat all manner of ailments. Visitors will be able to discover the history of plants, including drinking a distilled water of red roses for toothache, bruised saffron as a sobering tonic, and using apples to remove warts.
The Welsh Slate centrepiece at Treborth, which was installed on a concrete pad with mortar, is complemented by Welsh Slate pitched slate pathways also installed, over six months, by Kehoe Countryside. The Welsh Slate pavers for the centrepiece were supplied by Cerrig Granite and Slate.
Kehoe contract manager Celyn Kehoe said: “Creating the new Welsh Herbal Garden at Treborth Botanic Garden showcased traditional skills including slate pitched pathways, slate mosaic art and stone walling as well as locally-made milled benches from sustainable timber.
“The centrepiece was very well made and easy to assemble, while the traditional pitching and walling was more time consuming but the slate looks great in place, and is a real asset to the garden. Treborth absolutely love it.”
Treborth Botanic Garden curator Natalie Chivers said: “We are delighted to have worked with Kehoe Countryside and Nicola on the slate mural for our Welsh Herbal Garden. The circular mural celebrates our botanic garden logo, encapsulated in a sun ray of individually carved and placed sections. Our logo is inspired by the traditional trinity Celtic knot and the abundance of fern species native to Wales and to the botanic garden, many of which have medicinal properties used by the Physicians of Myddfai in the 12th Century.”
Nicola Oakey said: “It was a fantastic opportunity to work with Treborth Botanic Garden to design the Welsh Herbal Garden which tells a story about plants that are deeply connected to Welsh history and heritage. That's why it was so important that we used local materials in the garden. The slate helps us to tell that story and creates a garden that feels absolutely 'right' in its setting."
She added: “The local landscaper, Kehoe Countryside, who Treborth recommended for the work, really drove the decisions of who to use as they know local suppliers so well. I think the material was always going to be slate, it's just a no-brainer.”
For more information about Treborth, go to https://treborth.bangor.ac.uk.