Terrain Aeration

See the Power of Deep Aeration at work with Terrain Aeration and the Terralift.

See Terrain Aeration in action

Return to Stourhead for Terrain Aeration

Many of the views at Stourhead, the Wiltshire estate cared for by National Trust since 1946, will be familiar from the 2005 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice starring Kiera Knightly. The estate was sold to wealthy banker Sir Henry Hoare in 1717 and today includes the Palladian mansion, built around 1725 and the village of Stourton. The world-famous garden was designed by Henry Hoare II and laid out in a classical 18th century design with a large lake.

Terrain Aeration at Sir Harold Hillier Gardens

Terrain Aeration and the Valley of Fire

The Sir Harold Hillier Gardens are famous around the globe and have the world’s largest collection of hardy trees and shrubs anywhere in the temperate world. The Gardens now hold fourteen National Plant Collections and the latest planting project has been named ‘Valley of Fire’. The name is derived from the planting of over 30 different types of trees and shrubs that will create stunning autumn colour on both sides of what is currently known as Oak Tree Vista.
One of the challenges that faced the scheme was the need to create drainage in several areas of wet, heavy clay, to get the plantings off to a good start. David Jewell, Head of Collections, called upon the services of Terrain Aeration to carry out systematic treatment of the areas around the new plantings.
“I have known of the Terrain Aeration service for many years,” says David, “and have used them before. Their machines do an excellent job with very little disruption, in our case in quite tight areas on very soft ground. The results always speak for themselves.”

The Valley of Fire treated area

Deep penetration aeration – the waterlogging solution that digs deeper

Landscapers, groundsmen and gardeners responsible for large grassed open space areas such as parkland, sports pitches, golf courses, bowling greens and avenues of trees, right through to domestic gardens, all share a common problem. Compaction of the soil and panning lead to waterlogging which renders areas unusable, in many cases for long periods of time. The usual focus will be on aeration to relieve compaction and open up the soil to allow air to get to the roots and improve drainage. Essential work to keep playing surfaces usable and maintain the grass but if the ground is too hard the tines bounce and the area remains untreated. Similarly, where aeration is regularly carried out to a depth of 300mm the effect over a period of time will be to actually create a pan layer at 300mm. What is needed to relieve the resultant waterlogging is fracturing of the soil below this depth and that calls for a specialist approach to the problem.