Walled Garden Volunteers' Blog October 2026

Inside the overgrown and forgotten walled garden

For a few days this month we are celebrating the 10-year anniversary of the first opening of the Walled Garden to the public. The picture above shows how overgrown and forgotten it was before the Walled Garden Project started. In the Museum we are sharing images and some details - there is too much to tell! - of all that went before the day we were ready to open the doors into this lovely place. If you cannot visit, there is a short history on the Museum’s website.

Nowadays, the Garden, a special, calming, beautiful space, is part of the whole experience of a visit to the Museum in the Park. After years in the planning and making, the Garden does all we had hoped it would, and more:

Discover ideas for gardening and accessibility on the steep slopes of Stroud; See which plants enjoy our soil, and hot sunshine, or cool shade; find out how to make really good compost, and how it is possible to grow a whole range of vegetables, organically, in a small space; Enjoy the fresh air, breathe, relax, and take ideas home with you.

…And so, back to earth (!), we continue the peep behind the scenes as we always do in our Gardeners’ Blog.

Nerine bowdenii

This month we have been assessing the borders and tidying up, as things recover from the heat of the summer. Just below the surface the soil is still dry. However, it is cooler, and, as many of our plants are now well-established, we still have a colourful display this autumn. In particular the Nerine bowdenii (pictured) have hung on into the wetter weather!

All gardeners know there is never nothing to do! But this month, along with all the hard work this Garden demands, we have been a little distracted, looking back to see how this place once was, and all that was done to make the Walled Garden as you see it today.

As I write, we are about to gather for our Monday tasks in the Garden.

We hope you’ll call in and enjoy some of the Garden photos and a display for the next few days at the Museum, to celebrate our Anniversary. We have also launched an Anniversary Cook Book to mark the occasion, which is available for sale in the Museum shop! This has been funded by the Museum’s Cowle Trust and all proceeds go back into supporting the walled garden.

2016 - The Garden ready to welcome visitors