Thank you to everyone who generously donated towards the creation of our new Juniper Grove.
Yesterday, 30 young common juniper saplings arrived at the distillery. Their journey was slightly chaotic and several appeared to have travelled upside down, but all have now been unpacked, checked and carefully planted in the Distillery Garden.
The new saplings sit between three more established junipers that had originally been intended for rewilding on the Wiltshire Downs earlier this year. Although those plants did not make the move, they will now provide structure and shelter within the new nursery grove.
Preparing the planting rows gave us another reminder of the landscape beneath the distillery. We reached the region’s characteristic chalk bedrock almost immediately. This shallow, alkaline and free-draining ground can prove difficult for many plants, but it provides suitable conditions for native common juniper, Juniperus communis.
Good drainage matters because juniper does not tolerate prolonged waterlogging. Wet soil restricts oxygen around the roots and increases the risk of damage and disease. The chalk allows excess water to drain away while recreating some of the conditions the saplings will eventually encounter when planted across the Downs.
We cannot yet identify how many of the new plants are male or female. Juniper usually carries male and female cones on separate plants, but young saplings do not reveal their sex immediately. We expect to learn more next spring, when the male plants should begin producing their small pollen cones and the female plants may start showing their developing seed cones.
A healthy balance matters. Female plants produce the familiar berry-like cones used in gin, but they require pollen from nearby male plants. Genetic diversity and suitable spacing will also influence the grove’s future resilience.
The saplings will remain in this sheltered nursery setting for approximately three to four years. This period will allow them to establish stronger root systems and develop before selected plants move into more exposed areas of the Wiltshire Downs.
Thyme, lavender and echinacea grow around the nursery rows. These companion plants provide nectar and pollen for insects while increasing the variety of habitat within the garden. Their aromatic, herbaceous character also reflects the close relationship between plants, wildlife and the spirits we create.
Native juniper has declined severely across Wiltshire. Restoring it requires patience because the plant grows slowly and young saplings remain vulnerable during their early years. Every surviving plant therefore matters.
Your donations have enabled us to establish this latest group and continue our long-term work to restore native juniper across the Downs. Thank you for helping us give these young plants the strongest possible start.
