Gardening Pigs
A herd of pigs has been enlisted at one of the country's most popular gardens to clear scrubland instead of using potentially harmful pesticides and heavy machinery as a new way to help protect the environment.
Five hard-working saddleback pigs are the latest addition to the gardening team at the 180 acre estate and they have already set to work and cleared nearly an acre of dense brambles and scrub in less than a week.
They chomp their way through the roots at the Sir Harold Hillier Gardens in Romsey, Hants, so that new saplings and grass can be planted.
The pigs are on loan to the gardens by Manor Farm Museum, in Southampton, Hants, and they will work their way through about four acres of the woodland area in total.
Alan Cooper, the senior horticulturist at the gardens, said: "The pigs are being used to clear the forest floor, it would take an awful lot of man power to clear this area but the pigs can be left to their own devices and they will get the job done. They are doing as good a job as humans would."
The pigs have proved so useful that the next generation are already being reared to take on more work. Jo Field, who works at the gardens, said: "We are using a group of five saddleback pigs to clear the undergrowth at the wood, they are traditional woodland pigs and they eat their way through all the scrub".
"We decided to use pigs because it means that we don't have to use pesticide and it is an eco-friendly way to clear the area, using the pigs saves us from using heavy machinery and a lot of man power".
"We have actually put off clearing the area because it was going to be so tricky to get the machinery up there, but the pigs require very little maintenance and they are extremely happy, they feast on roots all day and when they are tired they have a little nap before getting stuck in again".
"They forage all day and they really are living the life of Riley, they live on the area they are clearing and they have a little house up there too - they have the whole area to themselves, it has already been a fantastic success."
The pigs are on loan to the gardens until the autumn.
Sir Harold Hillier Gardens (formerly known as the Hillier Arboretum) are named in memory of their founder, the late Sir Harold Hillier (1905-1985), a member of the nursery family.
In 1977, nearly twenty-five years after the first plantings, Sir Harold gave his plant collection to Hampshire County Council to be held by them as a charitable trust. It is their commitment that has helped to develop the unique collection of some 42,000 plants (12,000 different types) which now thrive in an area of 180 acres.