January

During January, our winter flora is in full bloom and ready for your beholding. Ranging from the heady citrus smells of the Hamamelis X Intermedia to the Lily of the Valley scent of the Mahonia X Media, the deep purples of the Helleborus flowers to the whites & pinks of the Viburnum Tinus, there is something to catch the eye of any garden-goer.

Betula Utilis Var. Jacquemontii – A Birch with an exceptionally white luminous stem. Looks good when planted in groups or as a multi-stem. [10m x 5m]. Found around the pond and as a mature specimen outside the Gardeners Cottage.

Hamamelis X Intermedia – A Witch Hazel that produces spidery orange, red or yellow flowers carried on leafless branches. Although small, the flowers produce a heady citrus scent. Quite slow growing but will eventually attain [3m x 3m]. Found in the Ornamental Garden in the north facing border.

Helleborus – Commonly known as hellebores, the Eurasian genus Helleborus consists of approximately 20 species of herbaceous or evergreen perennial flowering plants in the family Ranunculaceae, within which it gave its name to the tribe of Helleboreae. Despite names such as “winter rose”, “Christmas rose” and “Lenten rose”, hellebores are not closely related to the rose family (Rosaceae).

Mahonia X Media – An architectural evergreen with leaves like a large holly but producing yellow shuttlecock flowers at the growing tips. Flowers are very fragrant with a scent of Lily of the Valley. Grows to become a large shrub [3m x 3m]. Found in the north facing border of the Ornamental Garden and outside the Gardener’s Cottage.

Viburnum Tinus – An evergreen shrub studded with fat pink flower buds that open in mid-winter to provide white/pink flat headed flowers above dark green foliage. [2.5m x 2.5m]. Found on the south facing border of the Ornamental Garden. 

April/May

Spring is in full bloom throughout the month of May, be it the brightly-coloured tulips or the fragrant flowers of the Magnolia Kobus, there is a plethora of flora to appeal to your senses.

Taihaku Cherry Blossom – Watch how over 300 Taihaku Cherry Blossom Trees bloom in bridal white.

Crab-apple Blossom – Malus Sylvestris one of the ancestors of the cultivated apple (of which there are more than 6,000 varieties), it can live up to 100 years. Mature trees grow to around 10m in height. They have an irregular, rounded shape and a wide spreading canopy. With greyish brown, flecked bark, trees can become quite gnarled and twisted, especially when exposed, and the twigs often develop spines. This ‘crabbed’ appearance may have influenced its common name, ‘crab apple’.

Erythronium – These are bulbous perennials with paired, ovate or broadly elliptic leaves, and leafless stems bearing one of more nodding, star-shaped flowers with recurved petals.

Magnolia Kobus – Magnolia can be deciduous or evergreen trees or shrubs, with large, showy, often fragrant flowers, often opening before the leaves, and sometimes followed by colourful cone-like fruit.

Pulmonaria – These can be herbaceous or evergreen rhizomatous perennials with terminal clusters of funnel-shaped flowers in late winter or early spring, and often strikingly patterned leaves developing in summer.

Tulips – Tulipa Tulips (Tulipa) form a genus of spring-blooming perennial herbaceous bulbiferous geophytes (having bulbs as storage as storage organs). The flowers are usually large, showy and brightly coloured, generally red, yellow or white. They often have a different coloured blotch at the base of of the tepals (petals and sepals, collectively), internally.

July

In July with the summer flowers in full blossom, the sights and smells of the garden at their best. Take the iconic roses of the garden, red, pink, orange, white or yellow, there’s such a variety to draw your attention in only one of the flowers of the garden.

Passionfruit Flower – This climbing vine can be spotted by the Walled Boarder by the Pavilion. Easily spotted by it’s exotic look and vivid characteristics. 

Primula Vialii – This unique primrose is also known as an orchid primrose as it mimics some of our native orchids. Found in The Ornamental Garden it is also available to purchase in our Plant Centre. 

Roses – A rose is a woody perennial flowering plant of the genus Rosa, in the family Rosaceae, or the flower it bears. There are over three hundred species and thousands of cultivars. They form a group of plants that can be erect shrubs, climbing or trailing, with stems that are often armed with sharp prickles.

September

In September, the vibrancy of the summer is continued, however the first signs of autumn start to come in. The pinks and oranges of the Echinacea Purpurea, juxtapose the whites, reds and browns of the Actaea Simplex, creating a multi-seasonal experience to be admired.

Actaea Simplex ‘Brunette’ Bugbane – Herbaceous perennial [1.1m x 60cm] of dark, almost black, foliage with spikes of fluffy white highly scented small flowers in abundance. Found growing in the north facing border of the Ornamental Garden.

Echinacea Purpurea – Coneflower herbaceous daisy with large purple flowers loved by butterflies. [1m x 1m]. Found in the Pavilion Border.

Aster amellus – This European daisy is a herbaceous plant can be seen in The Ornamental Garden 

Hydrangeas – Hydrangea (common names hydrangea or hortensia) is a genus of 70-75 species of flowering plants native to Asia and the Americas. By far the greatest species diversity is in eastern Asia, notably Korea, China and Japan. Most are shrubs 1-3 metres tall, but some are small trees, and others lianas reaching up to 30m (98ft) by climbing trees.

Sedum Spectabile – Herbaceous perennial which looks very succulent with fleshy green leaves and star shaped powder pink flowers in flat heads adored by butterflies. [50cm x 50cm].