Stand Back and Admire The View

Isn’t it lovely to notice the lengthening days; the dawn chorus; the echo of birdsong at dusk! It’s all too easy to fast forward to March and the onset of spring, but in doing so, we run the risk of overlooking the seasonal treasures that February has to offer.

Take a walk around your garden to savour its cool tranquillity. Breathe in the crisp, still air. On a bright, clear day, when the air itself seems to hold its breath, there’s nothing quite as evocative as the unexpected fragrance of viburnum, witch-hazel and Edgworthia, whose delicate flowers adorn their outstretched bare branches.  This stark time of year gives you the chance to admire the complexity of deciduous shrubs such as contorted hazel, twisted red willow, arching white-stemmed rubus cockburnianus. Now is the time to prune wisteria, grape vine and fig; it’s hard to beat the sense of satisfaction I get from some formative pruning, before standing back to admire my workmanship!

Sorbaria Sem, a deciduous shrub that will run away with itself if not kept in check, is surely at its best in bud, a starburst of colour which fades into the background as the season progresses. Coloured dogwoods, best planted in groups, light up a dull corner: Cornus Midwinter Fire needs no explanation.  I’m lucky enough to live near Hampstead Heath, but if you stray off the beaten track to the Heath Extension you will see them planted en masse.

But the winter garden I return to, year after year, is Myddelton House, the home of one of Britain’s most famous self-taught gardeners, E A Bowles. Wander along the winding paths that cut through swathes of hellebores, from pastel pink to deepest burgundy, and great drifts of snowdrops and narcissi. Most of us have gazed up at tree canopies, densely colonised by mistletoe, but how many have been eye to eye with it? Up close and personal, it’s fascinating to see how the mistletoe attaches itself to the host tree. The gardeners are busy wheelbarrowing in mulch, or winter pruning, and are always happy to update you on their activities. Too few visitors take advantage of these beautiful winter gardens; better for me, to have the grounds to myself.

Love, Caroline x