Caroline Busby, Interim Director of Chiswick House and Gardens Trust, gives us an update. Caroline was appointed Head of Finance and Resources at the Trust in February 2018, and as Interim Director in January 2019 following Clare O'Brien's departure to take up a new role as CEO of the Mall Galleries. She is a qualified accountant with over 20 years' experience working in the City. Caroline has lived in Chiswick for a number of years and says she was delighted to be given the opportunity to work in such a beautiful and historic location with people who have such passion for the Estate. She will continue in her present role until a permanent Director is recruited.

Dear Chiswick House Friends

It’s now officially spring and the gardens are looking lovely with the spring flowers and blossoms emerging. The camellias bloomed earlier than last year because of the milder weather, and the Camellia Show was a great success. This year we ran a 'Camellia Celebration Weekend' at which we hosted a competition, supported by the International Camellia Society, for members of the public to enter their own camellia blooms. The winners included some of our own volunteers as well as people from further afield.

Over the last few months, our gardeners, assisted by our valued volunteer team, have been preparing the Italian gardens, tending the camellias (including lots of leaf cleaning) and trimming the trees on Dukes Avenue. In addition, many hours and lots of hard work have gone into the building of a Knot Garden in the Kitchen Garden. Knot Gardens are gardens of formal design in a square outline, and are Tudor in origin. Our Knot Garden is designed to reflect the floor plan of Chiswick House, and will be grown entirely of edible herbs and plants. Please come and visit it on one of our Kitchen Garden Open Days.

Our events team has been busy filling up the summer diary with a variety of events - there is something for everyone, we hope. All events are listed on the 'What's On' section of our website.

The House team has recently opened the doors for a new season. This year our team will be reinforced with volunteers acting as room interpreters and providing free tours on the days the House is open. We hope this will improve our visitor experience and help our visitors learn more about Lord Burlington and his villa. The House will be open from 1 April to 31 October: remember that Friends get unlimited free entry to the House. Our new House opening times can be found on our website.

Our Patrons' scheme continues to grow. Events in the last few months have included a trip to the Foundling Museum, which Lady Burlington helped to create, and a guided tour of the camellias in the conservatory. Future events include talks by the House Curator and a trip to nearby newly-opened Pitzhanger Manor. If you love Chiswick House and Gardens and wish to be more involved, please contact us to find out more about becoming a patron.

My priorities as Interim Director over the next few months are to ensure that the Gardens are maintained to the high standard we have become used to (we will be entering the London in Bloom awards again this year), to have a successful season in the House and to successfully deliver our programme of events. These events are vital to help fund the upkeep of the House and Gardens.

As always, the Trust is very grateful to the Chiswick House Friends for their on-going support in helping to ensure that the House and Gardens remain an asset for all to enjoy. We hope to see you soon!

Caroline Busby, Interim Director

Update from Caroline Busby, Interim Director of CHGT