April Garden Notes

 

On Saturday afternoon I was sat on a warm, sunny hillside near Wickwar in the south of the county, it was bliss; a rare pleasure not to be taken for granted. In fact, so far this spring we’ve taken nothing for granted, I’ve never known it so cold. Even the Pond Garden’s Magnolia, the star of the show in late March/early April, is tight budded and could be a month behind! The Spa’s Horse Chestnut is normally in leaf by now, it’s always very early; but it is only just breaking bud. It’s a strange dichotomy, it’s most definitely spring; but winter looks on. This weekend I watched Hares boxing in a stubble field near the Thames at Lechlade and all around them flocks of Fieldfares and Redwings pecked and scurried, these Scandinavian Thrushes should have been well on their way back to the breeding grounds of northern Europe.

As far as the garden goes the main problem has been the wind chill; it has seared, scorched and dessicated many things in its path….Hellebore flowers, and the leaves of Pachyphragma, Bergenias, Aquilegia, Thalictrums, Roses showing some signs of being singed. That’s not to say there’s nothing to see….Crocuses have been good especially the white ‘Joan of Arc’ looking great now in drifts through the Wilderness, Daffodils too; although they’ve still got to reach their peak. Plum red Paeoni shoots punctuate the soil’s surface and the sinister dusky clusters of low level Mandrake flowers are emerging in quiet corners. The shrub Oemleria cerasformis, just to the right of the Temple is now in flower, easily missed being quite delicate white blooms in small drooping clusters, a light scent and lovely. On Friday the lawns were cut, then brushed (with a machine to remove any debris) and finally today they received a dressing of fertiliser, one low in Nitrogen (4%) as we are not wishing to produce a silage crop; but achieve steady growth and ‘green up’. The bottom lawn had top dressing applied to remove hoof prints left by several rogue cattle in the early hours one morning; it’s never dull.

Another big job the team has just finished is the removal of timber produced when two large trees (Beech & Sycamore) were felled a year ago. This timber has been cut up, nearly half split and stacking is underway along the south west facing hedge line out in the field. All done between jobs; but great for team building! This wood will then be on the fires in the house next autumn. In November 2010 a large Lime was felled at the top of the drive and last week we planted a Brewer’s Weeping Spruce, Picea brewerana, in it’s place. This rarely seen spruce will, in years to come, be our Christmas tree, it is at least two metres high already and will have lights on it this coming festive season. It is planted just at the top of the drive on the right as you turn to the front of the house.

March is normally such a good month for planting out Lettuces and some of the vegetables; but Mark ad Ed’ have kept their ‘powder dry’ not wishing to expose the young plants to such hazardous conditions. The weather seems to be getting more seasonal now and some of these plants are now going out….plugs of Spinach ‘Bloomsdale’, Beetroot ‘Boltardy’ were put in today, 8th April. Other veg’ to ‘go in’ during the next week or two are Parsley ‘Giant of Napoli’, Rainbow Chard, Summer Cabbage ‘Golden Acre’ as well as various Lettuces…..’Rouge Grenobloise’, ‘Buttercrunch’, ‘Green & Red Salad Bowls’ and ‘Marvel of Four Seasons’. Later on Cabbage Red Drumhead’ and Potatoes ‘Pink Fir Apple’ and ‘Cherie’ will be planted. In the tunnel Mark has already planted the second early potato ‘Belle de Fonteney’ (Head Chef Graham Grafton’s favourite) and the first early ‘Swift’ and ‘Rocket’. Ed’ too has vegetable plants ready to go in the Potager….lettuces as above as well as ‘Valmaine’, Swiss Chard ‘Fordhook Giant’, Beet ‘ Bullsblood, Beetroot ‘Chiogga’, Flat leaf Parsley and Leaf Radish.

Despite the weather there are many plants in flower around the garden.......
Narcissus ‘Jetfire’
Narcissus ‘Tete-a-Tete’
Pseudo Narcissus Obvallaris, the Tenby Daffodil, on the drive under the trees.
Helleborus foetidus..the Stinking Hellebore.
Helleborus hybridus and it’s many colour forms..from white to black.
Helleborus odoratus...chartreuse green and sweetly scented.
Primroses..wild form and various colours.
Vinca hirsuta..dark blue Periwnkle.
Vinca minor Tulip greigii ‘Pinocchio’..scarlet petals edged ivory, patterned leaves.
Pachyphragma macrophyllum..pure white, only flowering in sheltered nooks at the moment, more will follow. Great plant for shade.
Crocus ‘Joan of Arc’..large pure white blooms.
Crocus ‘Ard Schenk’..smaller white fowers.
Hyacinths....blue ones that were in bowls last year, they then got planted in the beds, more will go in soon.
Chinodoxa (‘Glory of the Snow’)...small flowering bulbs, blues and paler colours.
Hepaticas....shade loving residents of chalky Transylvanian woodlands, you’d be hard pushed to see as many as this growing in a garden!
Cycamen coum
Scilla bifolia...bright intense blue, tiny Bluebells.

It’s a busy time and with the weather holding things back; when it does get warmer all of spring will unfold in two weeks, rather like the desert when it rains! So troughs and hayracks need to be put up around the pub, everedging needs to go in around some of the beds, parasols primed in hope of better weather and the project of suite 11 to be completed......the Village Festival happens on 18th May!

PLANT SALES
We have quite a range of plants for sale, all of garden provenance, please pop down to the polytunnel to see what we have. Very reasonably priced and grown in our own compost.....
Variegated Strawberries from the Potager.
Primulas.
Golden Feverfew.
Japanese Wineberries..buy them now, I guarantee they’ll sell out in a couple of months!
Hebe ‘White Heather’...a Mrs. V favourite.

Richard's July Garden Notes...

The other day the garden almost spoke…weird I know; but bear with me. During this very wet summer it has grown luscious and green; but it was almost saying it couldn’t do any more, some flowers were rotting before they opened (Larkspurs and Roses) and the Euphorbia palustris browning off, not getting a chance to show off its Autumn charms this year. Keeping Roses deadheaded and looking good has been a job in itself. The garden was poised between more rain and a season written off against the hope of summer sun, and what could possibly be an exceptional season of damp soil and higher temperatures. The team have carried on regardless; it is imperative that this is so, if not then any improvement in weather wouldn’t have made a difference.

Well dare I say it; but I hope after these last few days we’ve turned a corner. Today especially (23^rd July) has been wonderful. The garden is lifted and it’s lovely to see light and shade in places like the Laburnum Walk; the lack of sun has highlighted my awareness to the importance of shadows. It wasn’t all doom and gloom, many plants were still in party mood, they just needed more pampering, e.g the Roses. I also still managed to catch drifts of Lime blossom perfume on rare still and warmish moments, something to savour; every year I need at least one hit of it.

As you look at the house from the garden side the two beds that sit either side are bed 1 (left) and bed 2 (right). Bed 1 is white, blues and yellows provided by Centranthus, Geranium ‘Brookside’ and a Margarite respectively. The Margarite was given to us by Beth’s (one of our gardener's) dad. Star of bed 1 at the moment is the pale blue and white bracts that adorn the flower spikes of Salvia sclarea (Clary Sage), it is a short lived perennial that we grow from seed most years. Golden ‘African Queen’ lilies are just opening also.

Bed 2 is more pinks and purples provided by Penstemons, Salvias, Erodium mainscaulii, as well as newly planted Hybrid Musk Rose ‘Felicia’. Cutting back will take place in parts of this bed where Geraniums have got above their station; namely some of the G x oxonianum varieties and G. psilostemon. This not only encourages tidy clumps of regrowth but exposes slugs and snails to my attentions as well as giving more space to the new plantings of Roses and Perennials such as Aster ‘Little Carlow’ in Bed 2. The white Lilium regale have been flowering for a month now, they laughed in the rain’s face. Lily beetle, fingers crossed, has not been a major problem yet along with Mullien Moths that can strip Verbascums - this may be because of all the cold and rain?

The ‘L’ bed behind bed 2 has been planted up with  Rugosa Roses and a deep pink Modern English Rose ‘Wild Edric’ that looks like a Rugosa; but repeat flowers well. Whilst the ‘L’-bed gets established Larkspurs ‘Exquisite Mixed’ and three tall teepees of Sweet Peas pad it out. The Sweet Peas were sown last October and planted out in March.

The Temple Garden, with it’s pond, had it’s old paving lifted and relaid. The pond has also had it’s leak fixed and a solid coped edge put on. Important, established plants like the Magnolia and the ‘Cecille Brunner’ Rose on the railings and the ‘Seven Sisters’ rose on the wall with the plaque have been kept; but some new planting has been added. Paeoni delavayi, the Tree Paeoni was also kept; but any old and tired planting was lifted and the spaces dug over, de-rooted and planted up. Mrs Verey had intimated that she would have liked a Rose Garden so this is the direction we took.

Looking at the Temple on the right running from the railings are the pink roses of ‘Harlow Carr’, ‘The Lady’s Blush’ and ‘Cariad’, taller growing ‘A Shropshire Lad’ is peachy pink and in the corner where railings run to the wall. Right along the wall towards the fig is the almost  thornless climbing rose ‘Zepherine Drouhin’, this particular specimen was planted way before my time; but it’s the best I’ve seen it since we pruned the Fig hard back.

On the way down the grassy allee that runs from the Temple Garden to the frog fountain a good clump of White Willowherb holds sway. Further down the Broad border too has plenty of interest from the dark Bergamot ‘Kardinal’ to the yellow Catmint Nepeta govaniana, for me though the grassy green foliage of Selenium wallichianum; a cousin of our Cow Parsley looks stunning and yet to flower!

Over in the Potager Ed is now box clipping and planting; the Crimson Flowered Broad Beans out and the Red Bor kale taking their place. Lavender too is being discreetly picked and bunched by Beth to go in rooms. Not far away in the Kitchen, Garden Mark is taking advantage of the July heat and hoeing; weed control is back on track. The  sun also has come out just in time for the ‘Glen Magna’ Raspberries. Wet weather would have been the kiss of death, but timely sun has meant that we’ve picked at least 20kg already of this large and quite long fruited variety.

We grow two varieties of Garlic…’Thermidrome’ a commercial variety and ‘Chesnock’ that is a smaller and tighter bulb which I prefer the look of. Other vegetables that are going to the kitchens include….

• In the tunnels the Tomatoes are starting to show some colour, not quite ready; but beneath their canopies is a really good crop of Florence Fennel ‘Romanesco’ and ‘Sweet Genovese’ Basil.
• Three varieties of Courgette…bright yellow and spherical ‘Floridor’, long and yellow ‘Atena Polka’ and the traditional dark green ‘All Green Bush’. Graham is serving these roasted with the Tomato Tart. The Courgettes have taken a while to settle in during this cold and wet summer; but it looks like they’re going to crop well. There’s also the flowers too.
• Summer Cabbage ‘Golden Acre’ has done particularly well, as are the other leaf crops of Spinach and Rainbow Chard, juicy and lush with all the rain. We also have some succulent looking New Zealand Spinach that Graham say’s ‘holds a dressing well’.
• Beetroot ‘Boltardy’ is on stream and less orthodox varieties are nearly there such as ‘Golden’, Chiogga’, ‘Cheltenham Greentop’ and ‘Cylindra’.
• Spring Onion ‘White Lisbon’ goes up regularly to the kitchens and we’ve started pulling some ‘Long Red Florence’ onions too- this is a much larger onion. I think Michael Croft, Executive Chef Director, likes these roasted.
• We also have very lush Parsley ’Giant of Napoli’, so green and healthy that just looking at it provides one of your ‘five a day’.
• Ed has really got a production line going with the ‘micro-greens & salads’ such as Pea Shoots, Fine Curled Cress, Mustard ‘Red Giant’, Kailaan and Thousand Head Kale.

Last week I heard the characteristic noise that Swallows and Martins make when a predator is in their midst, usually a Sparrowhawk or Kestrel; but these aerial assasins are not a realistic threat to a bird of the Swallow or Martin’s capabilities. This time they needed to be afraid for a Hobby was coming in low level over the garden and in true Spitfire style swept upwards singling out one of the Swallows, a sprint upwards by the duo culminated in the prospective prey losing their pursuer by a clever jink and the Hobby carried on by it’s momentum knew the battle was lost. A little piece of theatre played out by two visitors to our shores…summer’s here, well at least for the next few days!

2012 so far...

What a six months! The first half of 2012 has been the busiest period for the gardening team at Barnsley for as long as I can remember; productive too. Spring is always busy, but we have also managed to fit in two large projects along the way. In April we re-planted the Temple Garden and in June we replanted the Spa Garden. Watering in the new plantings has not been an issue; although the new overflow on the pond seems to be working well.
 

The weather too, with the exception of March, has in most peoples’ minds been dire; but from a gardening perspective it has been most conducive. The warm March quickly swept the spring bulbs out of the way so our planting has been completed early and there was plenty of colour to be had in June, a notoriously tricky month. We were helped by the newly planted roses that were threaded through the beds in winter. We’ve just got to squeeze some Cosmos through Bed 2 and then we’re done.

The rain hasn’t always been co-operative with garden tasks; but the gardeners have on many an occasion taken a deep breath, put their hoods up, heads down and strode forward into the mud. So who are the team? We have updated our "Meet The Team" page so you can get yourself aquainted.

Our chickens!

We're very excited by the arrival of our beautiful Burford Brown chickens here in The Gardens! We'd like to say a special thank you to P&S Eggs- champion local egg producer who supplied us with the hens.

Which one's your favourite? Any name suggestions?

Richard's April Garden Notes...

We thought it was going to be a dry spring, but thankfully we were wrong. I’m a firm believer in a good growing year being built on the foundations of a moist spring, and April hasn’t let us down. It doesn’t matter whether you’re in the garden or on one of the lanes, saturated vegetation is ‘pumped up’ and displaying every intensity and shade of green… to experience the garden at  just such a time  is one of the boxes on the calendar I need to tick. At a busy time of year this can prove almost impossible, but it’s important for the gardeners to enjoy the garden; especially after it’s been dusted and bejewelled by rain. So this we did, late afternoon on the 20^th April, whilst it rained!

Looking back at the house, standing in the middle of the central Yew lined path you are surrounded by four beds; Bed 1 is in front and right, Bed 2 is in front and left, Bed 3 is behind and left, Bed 4 is behind and right. The bright yellow Tulip in Bed 1 is ‘Bellona’ as well as the orange ‘Princess Irene’ and the Lily Flowered (pointed petalled) ‘White Triumphator’. In Bed 2 we have Lily Flowered ‘Burgundy’, ivory white ‘Alabaster’, rosy pink streaked ‘Flaming Purissima’ and the smaller Tulip bakeri ‘Lilac Wonder’. A good patch of purple Honesty can also be seen near one of the corners of this bed. In Bed 4, under the tall Lawsons Cypress ‘Elegans’, is a good clump of the Periwinkle Vinca hirsuta with its blue purple flowers. Tulips here are the blackened red ‘Jan Reus’, ‘Burgundy’, ‘White Triumphator’, ‘Alabaster’ and the green and white ‘Spring Green’. 

  

The re-laying of the original paving in the Temple Garden is finished and I’m very pleased with it. Masons Tom and Will, helped by Phil and Ryan, lifted up the old paving and re-laid it. The gardening team followed on behind, re-working the beds. We started halfway through Cheltenham Race Week and finished on the 14^th April. The schedule was tight, but the whole project was executed amidst an atmosphere of good humour; I will remember it for that most of all. The paving had become uneven and loose over time and it was necessary to relay it. We opted to retain the original stones for two main reasons… firstly we wanted to retain as much of the character of this part of the garden as possible, giving it that ‘old’ feel; secondly it could have been a waste to throw such beautiful old stones away. Many of the original stones came from a pile at Ampney Downs Farm in about 1974, when Mrs Verey owned it.

I think the paving looks old, as if it has been down some time; but the new planting needs to establish. Quite a few Roses have been added to the borders in the Temple Garden in response to one of Mrs. Verey’s aspirations (to have a rose garden if she had more time and space) and we have chosen ones that repeat flower well, and have good disease resistance; as well as having old rose style and fragrance. It is not all roses, we have added Paeonies (seed grown from Barnsley plants), more varieties of Viola cornuta (a real Barnsley stalwart), and other bits and bobs that have been gathered together at Barnsley. The old favourites are still there- Paeonia delavayi (Tree Paeonia), Magnolia x soulangiana, the shrubby Ivy given to Mrs. Verey by Nancy Lindsay. We have also brought back Lavatera ‘Barnsley’ to the garden via Ed. The old Fig, Rosa ‘Cecile Brunner’ and Rosa ‘Seven Sisters’ also remain and will thrive after the removal of a dominant conifer. We also need to bolster the water plants and I fancy adding Water Avens along the narrow pond beds that also hold the Siberian Irises.

Leave the Temple Garden via the blue gates and walk on down the grass until you reach the stone path, and turn left onto it. Here is a pair of weeping Crab Apples, Malus ‘Red Jade’ under planted with Dog’s Tooth Violets, Erythronium ‘Pagoda’ (the bulb is the shape of a dog’s canine tooth; albeit bigger). Turn immediately right and walk down the Lime Walk with its base punctuated by Snakes Head Fritillaries.

As you reach the end of the Lime Walk you will be entering the Laburnum Walk and its wall side neighbour the Winter Walk. Any time of the year this place is just lovely, words can’t do it justice. This is horticultural alchemy. Mr and Mrs. Verey created an almost church like corner of the garden. 

Carry on to the sundial - its inscription more apt to the modern world then when it was written over three hundred years ago.  The late playwright Dennis Potter said very much the same; but used the term ‘seeing in the present tense’…. don’t see back to the past and how beautiful it was nor to the future or how beautiful it can be; but see the present and how beautiful it is!  

Right at the sundial you will see the Frog Fountain that will soon be treated to a spot of pampering from a local stone conservator called Graham. Turn up the grass allee and the Broad Border will be on your left with lovely clumps of the pale yellow Viola cornuta, ‘Pat Kavanagh’, on the corner and at the base of a variegated Portugese Laurel; a stunning patch of Comfrey ‘Crug Gold’. This Comfrey was brought to Barnsley by Charles Verey and after various transient plantings around the garden it seems to be in a settled position. It is at its best now and will become greener as the season progresses. At the edge of the border, before the central path, are groupings of Bowle’s Golden Grass (Millium effusum ‘Aureum’), again at its best now- so intense canary yellow; displaying taller diaphanous flower heads as the season progresses.  

Both corners either side of the central path are studded with the powder blue Grape Hyacinth Muscari ‘Valerie Finnis’. Past the central path and just before the Rose is the dark leaved Cow Parsley ‘Ravenswing’ and the tight budded double Tulip ‘Lilac Perfection’; another Charles Verey introduction and a personal favourite of mine. Although, ‘Flaming Purissima’ is staking a claim! Just before the next path that curves, there’s a tiny tapestry of ‘Raven’s Wing’ and Dicentra foliage, filigree! Next look under the canopy of a large Osmanthus and the blackened red Tulip ‘Jan Reus’ threads its way through various perennials, including Tellima, onto the perfect foil of the purple Rheum (ornamental Rhubarb). Sky blue Brunnera brings you to the end of the Broad Border with a corner of Ajuga ‘Black Scallop’. Walk on to the stone path, turn right between the weeping Crab Apples and then on through the iron gate, across the lane (incidently one of the most important trading roads in southern England during the middle ages), through the second iron gate and shortly on your left you will be in the Potager.

 

The first two beds, the ‘entrance beds’ as I like to call them, are planted with the Shallot ‘Golden Gourmet’ and Lettuce ‘Rougette Du Midi’. Just to your left is a long bed that exemplifies the colour green… jade green Crimson Flowered Broad Beans, yellow washed green Lettuce ‘Buttercrunch’, pea green Welsh poppy, grass green Jacob’s Ladder and green, green Box! All upstaged by the frilly edged Tulip ‘Fringed Elegance’. Opposite this bed is a bed of overwintered Caraway. To your right, in the long bed against the wall, are three teepees (made from the red shooted tops of the Lime Walk) planted up with the short growing Sweet Pea Cupani. This smaller and dark flowered Sweet Pea has an exceptional scent- think Sweet Pea overlaid with soft fruits. Opposite this bed is a well filled bed of overwintered Chard and self seeded Chervil. Another nearby bed has a lush planting of Sorrel.

Ed has also planted more beds containing over wintered Red Russian Kale, Long Red Florence onions, Parsley, Spinach ‘Bloomsdale’ and ‘Reddy’, Salsify, ‘Litte Gem’ Lettuce and ‘Bull’s Blood’ Beet. In addition, an over wintered bed of ‘Dwarf Vate’s Blue Kale’ is about to flower. One planting I’m looking forward to, is that of a long bed of the Chards ‘Fordhook Giant’ and ‘Rhubarb’ with an edging of the Calendula ‘Coffee’ that (if all goes to plan) will have the apricot/peachy pink Rose as a foil, fingers crossed!

Out in the field Mark is either picking  shoots from ‘Red Russian’ or ‘Thousand Head’ Kales (a much underrated green vegetable) as well as Cima Di Rapa, Spinach, Spring Onions ‘White Lisbon’ and of course Rhubarb! Vegetables growing on for cropping later in the season include Broad Beans ‘Aquadulce Claudia’ sown in two batches (late autumn and spring) for succession. Mark has also just sown a strip of crimson flowered ones (seed collected from those grown by Ed in the Potager last year).

Cabbages ‘Red Drumhead’ for the start of the game season have just been planted and the Summer Cabbage ‘Golden Acre’ is also out in the strips. Jerusalem Artichokes are pushing through and won’t be harvested until the winter. Lettuces ‘Buttercrunch’, ‘Cocarde’, ‘Little Gem’, ‘Arctic King’ and ‘Marvel of four Seasons’ are romping away in the damp soil and all the sowings Mark has just put in should benefit too... Carrots ‘Atomic Red’ (pink), ‘Cosmic Purple’, ‘Jaune De Doubs’ (yellow), Hamburg Parsley and Beetroots.

One tunnel is now taken over by pots of early potatoes ‘Arran Pilot’, ‘Rosabelle’ and ‘Swift’; it will have tomatoes in it later, tried and tested varieties… ’Coustralee’, ‘Sungold’, ‘Matt’s Wild Cherry’, ‘Green Grape’, ‘Gardener’s Delight’ and ‘Shirley’. The other tunnel will soon be cleared of its leaf crops and put down to some quick growing crops, then, more tomatoes.

What’s next? Chickens. They’re arriving on the 25^th April, so the shed needs cleaning and moving and the electric fence (fox!) erected.

Richard's February Garden Notes...

After locking up, I handed the keys back to reception. Leaving the house by the front door, I turned left, back into the garden. The light was quite extraordinary. Standing on the Croquet Lawn, my eyes were drawn in the direction of Church Farm which was obscured, as always, by the Temple Garden’s Birch and Honey Locust, as well as the tall Lombardy Poplars along the edge of the farm. These trees I have come to regard as part of the scenery, but here they were in relief against a taupe sky, their forms lit up acutely by soft, silvery spring light. The Lime Walk, just to the right of this view, seemed on fire, displaying its top of red shoots.

This low level early spring light seemed so pure, each point of contact having a complimentary shadow, the Yews down the Rock Rose Path or the Knot Garden; even shadows of the Phyllerea leaves on the wall at the end of the Laburnum Walk looked like the shadows of Clematis flowers. This wasn’t the glaring, dust hazed light of July, best enjoyed whilst sat against a hedgerow Oak watching the world go by. This was as special as the gold leaf filtered autumn light that invites exploration. Beauty seems even more irresistible when it’s transient and ephemeral. I was besotted, trance like and keen to savour the garden in this fleeting moment. For twenty minutes I was in heaven.

These sunny spells over last Thursday and into the weekend have heralded spring; momentum is gathering. The carpet of yellow Winter Aconites under the trees up the drive is now at its peak, and only bright sunshine will make the blooms open wider. Small groups of this flower crop up throughout the rest of the garden. In the garden we have two main types of Crocus: one is the large white Crocus, ‘Joan of Arc’- a notable variety of this plant. We have planted two thousand along the Wilderness Path to the Spa. Squirrels love Crocus corms, so I held my breath over the winter; but they seem to be coming up! The other Crocus is the species tommasinianus, another spring herald, appearing in great ticks and streaks through beds and borders. From purple to the palest lilac, each bloom held aloft on a delicate milky filament. We also plant Crocus chrysanthus in pots and tubs, pairing it with the dwarf Iris reticulate; both plants of a similar height and enjoying flowering synchronicity. The lead planters on the veranda have Iris ‘Cantab’ and Crocus ‘Snowbunting’. In the Temple Garden, the half barrels have Iris ‘Clairette’ and the powder blue Muscari ‘Valerie Finnis’. Other pots/tubs in the Temple have a variety of Hyacinthe… ‘Carnegie’ (white), ‘Woodstock’ (beetroot red) and ‘Purple Sensation’ (guess?).

I wouldn’t suggest we were a ‘Snowdrop Garden’; but we do have a small collection that each year is expanding as we go about our business of splitting and replanting. ‘Atkinsii’ came to the garden over ten years ago from Rodmarton Manor, as a clump of about ten bulbs. We will split and replant it again this spring and it will then occupy all of the Winter Walk and the Bob Dash Beds (either side of the Laburnum walk), most probably at least five hundred bulbs! It is a particular favourite due to its long stems and propeller like arrangement of petals. ‘Straffan’ also came from Rodmarton and can be found growing under and around a clipped Holly in the Broad Border (the big beds with stone paths, right of the Frog Fountain). ‘Straffan’ is yeoman like, and stouter; pretty though. In the Lime Walk, just up from the Laburnum Walk there is a group of the snowdrop ‘Rodmarton’, a showy double. And to the right of the steps that lead into the restaurant is the silver streaked leaf of the snowdrop ‘Augustus’, a dumpy drop with a seersucker texture.

There are not many areas of the garden that are not embellished by Hellebores. We have the Stinking Hellebore with its large heads of green acrid smelling flowers, complimented by dark green palmate leaves that can be seen near to the Temple Garden.

What we have most of though, are the various Hybrids and colour forms of Helleborus orientalis. Sometimes called the Lenten Rose, it is actually a member of the Buttercup family. Its saucer shaped, five petalled flowers hang down begging the observer to stoop and tilt them up with a finger, so that their faces can be seen. We have most colour forms from pewter black with golden nectarines, to bright yellow with dark red nectaries. My favourite grouping is in the Broad Border (near to the Frog Fountain with a castle topped Yew hedge); if you step through the gap in the hedge then they will be just to your left. They all have quite large flowers and most tend to be whites with green; but one is a very good pink, the other palest pink with a wine veining and cocoa coloured nectaries…gorgeous!

Two plants of individual interest are: Trachylophyllum with short spikes of pale lilac/mauve flowers that resemble reflexed Borage flowers. This plant too, is in the Broad Border; its large leaves just pushing through the leaf mould. The other plant of interest is the Pulmonaria ‘Redstart’, growing under the Laburnum Walk. It has brick red flowers and will carry on for some time; it has been flowering since before Christmas.

We scarify the lawns in autumn and this removes a lot of detritus that builds up over summer; but today we have been using a powered brush on them. This lightly removes winter rubbish and loose moss, as well as pulling the grass into an upright position, making a light topping with the lawnmower a more even finish. So Ed’s been brushing and Ben’s been cutting. All the collected brushings and mowings will be composted. The last task will be for Ed will be to apply a light feed to the lawns.

Over in the Potager, good work has been done. The old and cankerous plums have now been removed by Ed and Ben. They have been replaced by four specimens of the dessert pear ‘Beth’. Once the old trees were out, Ed took the opportunity to rework the soil, split up and replant the resident Garlic Chives and ‘Thalia’ Narcissi, as well as underplanting the young trees with Variegated Strawberries. This is a real success story as we thought we had lost this strawberry to vigorous Hellebores and overshadowing from the apple Goblets. Ed’ found a tiny one amongst the growth and from its runners, produced over a dozen plants, all of which have been planted around the four Pears.

Richard's January Garden Notes...

Walking the dogs this morning, it was still dark and flakes of snow blew around in the cold air; but here on the edge of Swindon a Blackbird was singing. A very different place was midday at Barnsley forty eight hours ago, a gloriously bright winter’s day. I had spent a couple of hours in the Hairy Hedge gathering enough dead Elm to see me through the weekend and into the next week, then into the garden I went. My quest: to find out how many plants are now flowering. This is the very beginning of the spring flowering plants and the best is yet to come.

I’m sure I’ve missed one or two; but during Saturday’s casual stroll I admired over twenty flowering plants, not including the seven varieties of Snowdrop we have here at Barnsley. So where are they? Crocuses are beginning to appear everywhere and soon there will be streaks of them along the edges of borders. The most common is Crocus Tommasinianus in varying shades of lilac and purple, all with a slender white lower part to their flowers. Crocus sieberi ‘Tricolor’ can be seen in the lead planters that are at the top of the steps that lead to Suite 11, its petals have an orange base and a lilac blue top. This little Crocus is also growing amongst the overwintering Broad Beans that are out in the Veg’ Garden, a result of us recycling compost from the pots back into the compost heap and then out onto the beds!

Helleborus foetidus is a very striking plant at this time of year with its dark green, deeply cut leaves and its limelight green flower heads above the foliage. The plants are self seeded and some have rhubarb red stems, giving away the secret that the cultivar ‘Westerfisk’ (a red stemmed variety) is in their parentage. In the past ‘Westerfisk’ was planted in the Potager. Bed 4, the large bed next to the Pond Garden with blue railings has some good specimens growing in it; but don’t smell the blooms as it is these that give it its common name of Stinking Hellebore! In Bed 4 there are also some very good colour forms of Helleborus orientalis, the Lenten Rose, ranging from yellow, pink, plum and a later flowering pewter black one, with foliage to match. One special Hellebore in this bed is Helleborus odoratus, just to the left of the stone seat. The chartreuse flowers emit a sweet scent on warm, still days.

The dwarf bulbous Iris reticulata is only 15cm high; but packs a punch with its intense colours… the cultivar ‘Harmony’ is in the lead planters on the Verandah, deep blue with yellow and white highlights. ‘Purple Gem’, a darker flower, is found at the end of Bed 3 near to the Rock Rose Path. If you stand with your back to the blue Iron Gate in the wall, facing the house, Bed 3 is the large central bed nearest to you on your left. If you’re still facing the house and have your back to the gate, go left down the path lined either side by pleached (basically on stilts) Limes.

The Lime Walk is, for me, at its most interesting during February, March and into April; the small bed around the base of each Lime being bejewelled with all manner of intensely coloured gems….Cyclamen coum, Primroses, Hepaticas, Hellebores, Crocus, Fritillarias, Snowdrops, Anemones. I’m not a big fan of the double Snowdrop; we have quite a bit of it here, short with an almost too big flower for its height. I much prefer its more balanced single sibling. After saying this, my star of the show in the Lime Walk, is the Snowdrop ‘Rodmarton’. It too is a double; but much more of a Mae West character with its elegant tall stem topped, at a jaunty angle, by a double ruff layered with green, really worth a second glance.

Carry on down into the cobbled Laburnum Walk and look to your left- highlighted by the black mulch is the Snowdrop ‘Atkinssii’, such a pleasing sight, this black and white picture. When these Snowdrops have finished flowering we will dig them up, divide up the bulbs and redistribute them back into their home. The extra ones will go into the two large beds the other side of the Laburnums. We will then have ‘Atkinsii’ all the way through this little corner of the garden.

The mulching of the beds gets done every winter and serves many purposes, such as…

• It improves the soil structure and fertility; very useful during dry springs like last year when holding onto water is vital.
• It provides a foil for the spring flowers to show off against.
• Mulching now, after Christmas, smothers any annual weeds that have had the temerity to germinate, and we seem to have less of a problem with them than if we had mulched before Christmas.

We have been using municipal green waste compost; but Mark our veg’ man wants the rest for his Asparagus so we will now use our own leaf mould for the Broad Border and Bob Dash Beds.

Out in the Potager, Cavelo Nero Kale and Brussel Sprout Rubine hold sway. The tired Plum Goblets (they have canker) will be removed when their replacements arrive. Four Pears ‘Beth’ have been ordered and we hope to prune them into Pyramids. The Artichokes Ed’ grew from seed this year are monstrous, they will be thinned out, and the extra stock moved out into the Veg’ Garden.

Bitterly cold this morning; but Mark was out in the field, gauntleted, picking out Scorzonera and Jerusalem Artichokes. His salads this winter have been stunning: Rocket, Mizuna, Mustards, Spinach, Chards of all colours as well as Pea shoots. Michael Croft, our Executive Chef Director has been amazed at their quality. Mark has been diligent with his fleecing and ventilation of the crops in the tunnel.