Better late than never!

February Blog – The Garden House

Jennifer Wright – 2^nd year trainee.  

The Garden House

With the recent beautiful weather, I think we can all be forgiven for thinking it is spring. I know I really want it to be spring. There is truly nothing better than the first leaves breaking from their buds and the arrival of Daffodils herald’s spring, right? On the other hand, I am not sure a week or two of uncharacteristically fabulous weather really qualifies as spring. Especially now the rain and wind are battering the last of our snowdrops. We have had a such a long display of snowdrops here at the Garden House. I am the first to admit, before I came here, I didn’t even know some snowdrops will flower in autumn. I am talking about spring right now but we will all blink, and it will be autumn again soon enough. I am not that old, early twenties, and even I think time is passing quicker with every year added to my life.

Now that the snowdrops are over, we have begun to lift them while they are still “in the green” and naturalise them in new areas. “In the green” is really just technical speak for when the flowers of a bulb have done their thing and gone over but while the leaves are still green. While we are on the subject of spring bulbs, when I was first starting out, I was often told about tying the leaves of bulbs after they have flowered or cutting them off to prevent them from becoming messy. I can honestly say that is some of the most infuriating advice I have ever been given. It is much better for the long-term health of your bulbs if their leaves are left to die down naturally after flowering. Similar to trees in the autumn, the bulbs photosynthesize the last of the sugars they need from their leaves before going dormant in the summer. T They draw energy and nutrients back down into bulbs under the surface, eventually the leaves are discarded so they become brown and/or mushy. The bulb is a tiny powerhouse which stores sugars and nutrients in the ground.  When next spring comes, it gives the plant a colossal amount of energy to kickstart their growth before they can then photosynthesize again with new leaves. 

Before I go off on too much of a tangent let’s get back to naturalising bulbs. Here at The Garden House, every year each set of students has a go at naturalising bulbs. This is an excellent opportunity for us to experience bulb planting on a smaller scale. Naturalising snowdrops could be considered an art form. We don’t want patterns, lines or equal numbers of snowdrops in a hole. Too much of any of that makes a space feel forced when in reality, we are trying to imitate nature. The bulbs are dug up from various areas of the garden, ensuring that each variety and species are kept separate, then planted while still green. To save time, rather than digging hundreds of small holes, a method of called slit planting is used. This is where a spade is pushed into the ground then wiggled back and forth. This opens up a slit in the ground while is large enough for the bulbs to be slotted in. The bulbs need to be planted so that the white part of the stem is not above the ground, then the ground around them is firmed in. Planting bulbs this way meant that we could plant lots in a short period of time.

From planting bulbs to digging them out. Spanish bluebells might just become the bane of my life. This month has seen the removal of over a million Spanish bluebells. I say a million but in truth I mean around 2 thousand. I started counting but straight up lost it after bulb 573… Many visitors have asked why we have taken so many out and I can see why. It must look strange to walk past 2 gardeners with wheelbarrows filled to the brim with bulbs. Since their introduction, Spanish bluebells or Hyacinthoides hispanica have spread over most of the United Kingdom. They were once extremely popular and planted in many gardens. The bulbs are beautiful, large and romantic but a nuisance. They have become invasive with their ability to multiply rapidly. It is isn’t just an issue of multiplication but their capability to hybridise with our own smaller native English bluebell, Hyacinthoides non-scripta. This hybridisation has led to the dilution of our own gene pool with fertile hybrids of the two spreading through areas which have previously been native. 

This might spell the end of non-scripta. So, why do we still have Spanish bluebells? Unfortunately, it isn’t as simple as removing the bulbs. Well it is, but it takes a very long time and perseverance. An area has to be swept through and dug over for many years before they are finally eradicated. Even then, there is still a chance that neighbouring land will have Spanish bluebells which will multiply all over again. The bulbs that we remove are put on the bonfire to ensure they are truly gone. 

Hydrangea paniculata 'Limelight' before pruning

Some slightly more delicate work now. Jen (the other trainee) and I spent some time this month pruning Hydrangea paniculata cultivars all over the garden. Hydrangea paniculata itself is originally from East Asia and has pinkish white flowers that bloom on conical paniculate flowerheads. This Hydrangea is one of the showiest but also in my opinion, one of the most attractive. Most of our paniculatas have been around for many years so already have an established framework. To prune this type of Hydrangea, take out any weak, diseased, dying and dead first then take a step back and check out the overall shape. If this still looks good, then each flowering stem can be cut be cut back to within 2-3 buds (3-7cm approx.) of the previous year’s growth. Each bud under the cuts will then produce new growth in the spring. This new growth will be strong and healthy depending on the age and position of the shrub. We spent a couple of days pruning our shrubs. One of my colleagues remarked, “I was watching from the window when you were out front. You were both standing in front of a Hydrangea, checking it out while having a wee giggle. One of you took the first tentative cut. I looked away for half a second and when I looked again, the Hydrangea was down and you were gone. Speed pruning!” Once you get your eye in, you know where you are at and where you are going.

Hydrangea paniculata 'Limelight' after pruning

One of my favourite plants which flowered in February has to be Prunus ‘Felix Jury’. This tree is a Taiwanese Cherry. I have a massive soft for cherries. I love them so much. To me, they are spring in a nutshell. Romantic, full of new beginning and so very, very colourful. ‘Felix Jury’ has dark pink flowers which appear in early spring. They are a little early this year because of the freakishly warm weather we had a couple of weeks ago but nevertheless, they are beautiful as always. 

Botanical name: Prunus campanulata ‘Felix Jury’

Family: Rosaceae

Common names: Formosan cherry.

Where is it at the garden house: We have a few of this type of cherry in the arboretum. They haven’t been in the ground for very long in tree terms so are still quite young. As they age, they will grow and eventually with the addition of the other trees in the arboretum will make a truly dazzling display. I will definitely come back after I leave to check them out!

Prunus 'Felix Jury' in the Arboretum @TGardenHouse

Spring personally is yellow. Yellow all the way! It is probably my favourite colour and at this time of year it is in abundance. If you don’t already know of them, here at some yellow flowering winter/spring plants to check out:

·       Lindera obtusiloba or blunt-lobed spice bush.

·       Cornus mas or Cornelian cherry.

·       Narcissus ‘February Gold’ or Daffodil ‘February Gold’.

·       Edgeworthia chrysantha or paperbush.

·       Kerria japonica ‘Pleniflora’ or bachelor’s buttons.

·       Forsythia x intermedia ‘Lynwood Gold’ or Forsythia ‘Lynwood’. 

I think that is about all we have time for folks! Even if it isn’t spring quite yet the garden is now open 5 days a week. The benches have been brought back outside after being put to bed for the winter. It isn’t raining quite as much and I can only hope for a dry spring. Who am I kidding? I know it’s going to rain. I hope to see you at The Garden House soon. If anyone has any questions, just stop one of us and we will be happy to answer.  

Narcissus cyclamineus in the bulb meadow @TGardenHouse