QUICK MARCH
‘March brings breezes loud and shrill,
Stirs the dancing daffodil’
(Sara Coleridge, 1802-52)
At last, there’s light at the end of the tunnel. We’re into March, the first of the spring months. I’m already feeling a buzz as the days draw out, giving us a bit more gardening time. It’s surprising how bleak the garden can look in the early spring months though. Colour and flowers can be in short supply, but with a little thought, the spring garden can be glorious. There are spring flowering plants and shrubs, but they take up lots of room and once they’ve finished flowering that’s the end of it, it’s just a green lump for the rest of the year. The secret is to grow plants that don’t stay around and get in the way when they’ve done what they need to do. Other plants can then take over in almost the same spot as their predecessors.
I’m talking spring flowering bulbs of course. With a little judicious planning, the entire three months of spring can be a glorious riot of beauty and interest. There are so many, space doesn’t allow me cover all of them, so please forgive me if I miss out your favourite. Anyway, let’s start with what we could be looking at now in March.
To begin with, we have the early starters. If the winter has been reasonable, there may still be snowdrops, the herald of the spring. With their white heads bowed in honour of the lengthening days, they make the heart rejoice. Spring is on its way.
Around this time or maybe slightly later come crocus and windflowers (anemone blanda cultivars.) The crocus flower may be short-lived but the blaze of colour it throws at us when massed together is stunning. As for the windflower, when carpeting the ground in a woodland or copse, it takes the breath away. Usually, at about the same time, but sometimes soon after, the dainty cone-shaped head of the muscari offer their beautiful flowers to the world, cleverly fashioned to resemble an inverted bunch of grapes.
If you have an area of damp grass and don’t know what to do with it, why not plant what I feel is the most delicious indigenous member of the lily family, fritillaria meleagris. There is an ancient field near Oxford University that has grown the ‘snakes head fritillary’ for hundreds of years and is now world famous for its beauty.
As Sara Coleridge (see couplet above) and her contemporary William Wordsworth, bring out in their poetry, now is also the time of bright and blousy daffodil and narcissi species and cultivars. Personally, I am not a lover of the brash, boastful, large-flowered, long-stemmed weak-willed daffodils that fall over at the slightest provocation. I much prefer the smaller, delicate, and understated daffodil that Wordsworth romanticised about, narcissus pseudonarcissus, the wild daffodil. I grow it in my own small copse where the scale is just right, and it looks right too. I could also wax lyrical about my other favourite, the dwarf cultivar, ‘Tête-à-Tête’. Not only is it petite, it has the most delectable scent.
In mid to late spring comes the glory of the British Isles, the bluebells. The amount of words written in praise of our bluebell woods must run into the multi-millions, and quite rightly too. Being part of our national heritage their preservation is paramount. Therefore, if you plan to plant bluebells in your garden please make sure you plant only the British native bluebell (hyacinthoides non-scripta) and not the invasive continental bully, the Spanish bluebell (hyacinthoides hispanica.)
Late spring brings the tulip to our attention. Now the tulip has many fans but I’m afraid that I’m not one of them. I feel they are gaudy and blow themselves out in a matter of days. They look pleasant enough as long as the bowl holds but when the petals drop sideways, they look spent and forlorn. Nevertheless, everything is a matter of taste. If you like them, grow them, and get on and enjoy them.
Of course, the best way to grow many of our spring flowering bulbs is by naturalising them in woodland or lawn. These can be a spectacular sight. If you would enjoy seeing a perfect example of naturalised planting, there is an ideal opportunity during March and April. Why not visit the garden at The Downes (EX39 5LB) between Bideford and Torrington to see spectacular naturalisations of daffodils and a sweeping sea of bluebells in the woodland. The photographs give just a hint of what’s in store.
After a period of closure, and under the direction of new head-gardener Nigel Alford, Richard Stanley-Baker, the third generation of a keen gardening family, has now re-opened the gardens. Exciting things are happening in the garden, with Nigel restoring the borders and initiating new plantings. The gardens open for the National Garden Scheme (N.G.S.), and this spring the opening dates are, Wednesday 14th to Friday 30th of March, from 10.00 am – 4.00 pm. In addition, Sunday 22nd to Thursday 26th of April, again from 10.00 am – 4.00 pm. Dogs can visit too if on a lead, and there are plant sales. The admission is £3.50 and children enter free. All takings go to N.G.S. charities, which include, Marie Curie Cancer Care, Macmillan Cancer Care, Help the Hospices, and many others besides.
The gardens cover 15 acres with landscaped lawns and spectacular views of the Torridge valley. There are plantings of rare and notable trees and shrubs. Moreover, all this is engulfed in birdsong. How wonderful is that!
In the summer, Nigel Alford will be conducting a garden tour and giving gardening lectures. I shall give more information about this as we get closer to the time.
You can contact me on [email protected]
You can visit my website at cherrytrees.weebly.com
Until we meet again next month, happy gardening!
‘March brings breezes loud and shrill,
Stirs the dancing daffodil’
(Sara Coleridge, 1802-52)
At last, there’s light at the end of the tunnel. We’re into March, the first of the spring months. I’m already feeling a buzz as the days draw out, giving us a bit more gardening time. It’s surprising how bleak the garden can look in the early spring months though. Colour and flowers can be in short supply, but with a little thought, the spring garden can be glorious. There are spring flowering plants and shrubs, but they take up lots of room and once they’ve finished flowering that’s the end of it, it’s just a green lump for the rest of the year. The secret is to grow plants that don’t stay around and get in the way when they’ve done what they need to do. Other plants can then take over in almost the same spot as their predecessors.
I’m talking spring flowering bulbs of course. With a little judicious planning, the entire three months of spring can be a glorious riot of beauty and interest. There are so many, space doesn’t allow me cover all of them, so please forgive me if I miss out your favourite. Anyway, let’s start with what we could be looking at now in March.
To begin with, we have the early starters. If the winter has been reasonable, there may still be snowdrops, the herald of the spring. With their white heads bowed in honour of the lengthening days, they make the heart rejoice. Spring is on its way.
Around this time or maybe slightly later come crocus and windflowers (anemone blanda cultivars.) The crocus flower may be short-lived but the blaze of colour it throws at us when massed together is stunning. As for the windflower, when carpeting the ground in a woodland or copse, it takes the breath away. Usually, at about the same time, but sometimes soon after, the dainty cone-shaped head of the muscari offer their beautiful flowers to the world, cleverly fashioned to resemble an inverted bunch of grapes.
If you have an area of damp grass and don’t know what to do with it, why not plant what I feel is the most delicious indigenous member of the lily family, fritillaria meleagris. There is an ancient field near Oxford University that has grown the ‘snakes head fritillary’ for hundreds of years and is now world famous for its beauty.
As Sara Coleridge (see couplet above) and her contemporary William Wordsworth, bring out in their poetry, now is also the time of bright and blousy daffodil and narcissi species and cultivars. Personally, I am not a lover of the brash, boastful, large-flowered, long-stemmed weak-willed daffodils that fall over at the slightest provocation. I much prefer the smaller, delicate, and understated daffodil that Wordsworth romanticised about, narcissus pseudonarcissus, the wild daffodil. I grow it in my own small copse where the scale is just right, and it looks right too. I could also wax lyrical about my other favourite, the dwarf cultivar, ‘Tête-à-Tête’. Not only is it petite, it has the most delectable scent.
In mid to late spring comes the glory of the British Isles, the bluebells. The amount of words written in praise of our bluebell woods must run into the multi-millions, and quite rightly too. Being part of our national heritage their preservation is paramount. Therefore, if you plan to plant bluebells in your garden please make sure you plant only the British native bluebell (hyacinthoides non-scripta) and not the invasive continental bully, the Spanish bluebell (hyacinthoides hispanica.)
Late spring brings the tulip to our attention. Now the tulip has many fans but I’m afraid that I’m not one of them. I feel they are gaudy and blow themselves out in a matter of days. They look pleasant enough as long as the bowl holds but when the petals drop sideways, they look spent and forlorn. Nevertheless, everything is a matter of taste. If you like them, grow them, and get on and enjoy them.
Of course, the best way to grow many of our spring flowering bulbs is by naturalising them in woodland or lawn. These can be a spectacular sight. If you would enjoy seeing a perfect example of naturalised planting, there is an ideal opportunity during March and April. Why not visit the garden at The Downes (EX39 5LB) between Bideford and Torrington to see spectacular naturalisations of daffodils and a sweeping sea of bluebells in the woodland. The photographs give just a hint of what’s in store.
After a period of closure, and under the direction of new head-gardener Nigel Alford, Richard Stanley-Baker, the third generation of a keen gardening family, has now re-opened the gardens. Exciting things are happening in the garden, with Nigel restoring the borders and initiating new plantings. The gardens open for the National Garden Scheme (N.G.S.), and this spring the opening dates are, Wednesday 14th to Friday 30th of March, from 10.00 am – 4.00 pm. In addition, Sunday 22nd to Thursday 26th of April, again from 10.00 am – 4.00 pm. Dogs can visit too if on a lead, and there are plant sales. The admission is £3.50 and children enter free. All takings go to N.G.S. charities, which include, Marie Curie Cancer Care, Macmillan Cancer Care, Help the Hospices, and many others besides.
The gardens cover 15 acres with landscaped lawns and spectacular views of the Torridge valley. There are plantings of rare and notable trees and shrubs. Moreover, all this is engulfed in birdsong. How wonderful is that!
In the summer, Nigel Alford will be conducting a garden tour and giving gardening lectures. I shall give more information about this as we get closer to the time.
You can contact me on [email protected]
You can visit my website at cherrytrees.weebly.com
Until we meet again next month, happy gardening!