At the western edge of The Botanical Area, five ‘woodland-beds’ have been established in the shade of tall beech trees, like those that surround the whole of The Botanical Area. The shelter from these trees provides ideal conditions for woodland plants from many parts of the world and, therefore, it was decided to divide this part of the garden into geographical zones. The beds are raised above ground-level with sphagnum peat blocks (turves), as well as logs originating from this area of the garden.
The base of each bed is provided with a drainage layer in order to prevent standing water in winter, which several of the species grown here cannot tolerate. The growing medium comprises of peat, sand, and forest earth – generous amounts of leaves are added naturally in the course of the year. To prevent excessive evaporation in summer and to help retain soil -moisture, all the beds are covered in a thick layer of bark chippings.