The Garden View

The New Year has so far brought us plenty of wintery weather. The flooding of the Ings continues to be a regular occurrence and we have had the snow plough out on a number of occasions. The occasional sunny day is a tantalising reminder that spring is not too far away.

I have been asked more than once what gardeners do in the winter; the implication being it must be hard to keep busy. In fact many of our bigger projects are tackled over the winter months. The South Border has just been widened by 1.5 meters. This gives us a significant amount more border to play with. The main theme to the planting is to be the daisy family (Asteraceae), most of which are late summer flowering. This family includes echinacea, dahlia, helenium, rudbeckia, and echinops. Historically this border was planted to peak in September to tie in with the St Ledger Stakes, when Lady Chesterfield traditionally held a garden party (being a big horse racing fan). More plans are in the pipeline for the South Border so keep watching this space...

The Double Border has also had some attention in terms of reinstating the brick edging to the path. These bricks were hardly visible in places and once re-positioned give a great definition to the border. The old metal hoops have been painted and are also ready to go back on the posts, to allow the wisteria to cascade over, in time their drooping mauve flowers should be a real feature.

Of course there are still plants to enjoy. The witch hazel (Hamamelis mollis) in the Winter Corner has been flowering for a couple of weeks now, its delicate yellow petals somehow defying the frosts and snow. Winter aconites (Eranthis hyemalis) are one of the first flowers to appear in the New Year, below the horse chestnut at the end of the South Border; a carpet of snowdrops quickly follows.

The Trust’s spring flower count on the 12^th Feb this year totted up 29 different varieties of plant in flower at Beningbrough! It is amazing what’s out there once you look.

Lastly the Wilderness (where the playground is located) is also getting a bit of a face lift. We are thinning out some of the laurels and putting down paths to improve access. Plants at home in a woodland setting are soon to follow.

If you see any of us in the garden feel free to come and say hello or ask us questions! All the best from the garden team.

Written by Tom Longridge