Rhodadendron through and over the garden fence @ Shugborough

5 Manchester volunteers and 9 from a similar group based in Wolverhampton turned out to the Shugborough Estate last Sunday.

We had plenty of cakes - as Daniel had brought some home made chocolate muffins - while Joe (the Gardener there) had provided a 2 cakes with the assistance of the tea room (Cherry / Apple and Date).

The task was simple the Rhododendrons along the edge of the gardens needed to be cut back away from the fence between it and the grazed "parkland" - to ensure that live stock do not poison themselves later in the year, we managed most of it - and left at the end of a successful day, full of cake with only a small section to be finished by the staff on Monday.

Joe also talked some volunteers from both groups though the decontamination procedure required if we ever have to work on plants affected by Phytophthora ramorum