“Gardening is an exercise in optimism. Sometimes, it is a triumph of hope over experience.” – Christopher Lloyd
No more so than in March when we wait to see the bulbs planted the previous autumn stir from the ground. The weather itself is changeable and a warm day in March is worth waiting for. The garden becomes a canvas painted with the vibrant hues of awakening bulbs. The saturated ground brims with life as bees emerge looking for nectar.
Hyacinths are one of my favourite bulbs and we use them extensively in the woodland walk. The air is filled with the sweet scent of the blue, pink and white flowers, which weave their way through the hellebores and summer snowflakes along the woodland walk. Above them, the fat buds of the huge horse chestnut are about to burst open ready for their display in May. Further along, the great big heads of the Imperial Fritillary hang down near the path. Turn up their heads and you can see a single tear in the corner of each petal.
No garden in March would be complete without the nodding heads of daffodils and we plant for a succession of flowers in the Cedar Meadow and around the gardens. From the old Queen Anne’s Double on the fringes of the gardens to modern cultivars in the borders, we are picking and arranging these beautiful flowers so that they can be appreciated in the warmth of the Coffee
Room on a cold day.
Meanwhile smaller bulbs are coming through too. The wild anemones, muscari or grape hyacinth and early snakeshead fritillaries cheer up borders and take their turn in the meadows. They are set off by creamy primroses and wild violets. Spring is finally here.