The February Garden at Aberglasney 2022
What can I say that’s good about February, a month which sees the end of winter but one that is often full of weather surprises many of which are not entirely welcomed by gardeners who are desperate for spring to arrive. However, it is not all doom and gloom as there are signs that spring is not too far away and it is these optimistic signs that I will try to share with you this month.
In our own garden as I write this at the end of January there are several of these signs of hope for the month to come. In the front garden the Witch Hazel, Hamamelis, is just coming into flower with its spidery, yellow and fragrant blooms and near the main gate the Christmas Box, Sarcoccoca, is also in flower filling the air nearby with its heady perfume. Also in the front is a Cornelian Cherry, Cornus mas, with its small, yellow flower clusters bursting like small fireworks. In the back garden our Camellia, Camellia williamsii ‘Anticipation’, is full of flower buds some of which are beginning to show some colour but I hope that it doesn’t flower too early as there is always a chance of frost damage to the newly emerged flowers though February. Another plant which was in flower last February is Chamomeles x superba ‘Knap Hill Scarlet’ but this year there is no sign of flower as yet for some reason.
At ground level the most obvious signs of flower colour to come are from the emerging spring bulbs with the Snowdrops, Galanthus, already showing hints of white and the Narcissi still just showing the spikes of green shoots. The Hellebores on the other hand all seem to have some flowers out and I will remove the last of the old leaves so that the flowers can be seen in all their glory. I also expect to see some flowers on the Pulmonarias in February although I have to admit that there is not much sign of this at the moment. For more details and photographs of all these ‘good’ February plants have a look back at my blog for February 2021 in which I look at where they come from, the conditions they like as well as suggesting some good cultivars and varieties to look out for.
At Aberglasney in late January the whole garden at first glance appears like a sleeping giant just waiting to literally spring into life. The beds have all been cleared and top dressed, the winter pruning has nearly been completed and repair work on walls and paths has been carried out ready for the new season. However, on closer inspection it is clear that there are early signs of growth to be found and enjoyed. There is nothing quite like green shoots emerging from the dark, top dressed soil to quicken the heart and raise the spirits in anticipation of another growing season just around the corner. It is also a chance to admire the plants which don’t get much attention at other times of the year- the early spring bulbs, the winter flowering shrubs, the ground cover flowers and foliage and the all-important evergreen backbone of the garden.
A winter view of the mansion and Upper Walled garden- hard to believe that plants in these seemingly empty beds will be almost as high as the clipped Yews.
I will start with the flowering shrubs which appear in several parts of the garden. Perhaps the most striking are the Witch Hazels, Hamamelis, with their spidery, yellow, orange or red, lightly scented flowers held on bare stems. They are found throughout the Asiatic Garden and the Stream Garden and demand the visitor’s attention at this time of year.
The more usual yellow/orange flowers of Hamamelis and the reds of H. x intermedia ‘Diane’
Two other flowering shrubs are perhaps less striking in terms of their flowers but they more than make up for this with their fabulous perfume and they too are found throughout the garden. The first of these are the Daphnes with their small, delightful, four-petalled flowers in white and various shades of pink. They are highly scented and are well worth searching out at this time of year.
The second shrub is much less obvious until you walk past one and are stopped in your tracks by the heady perfume. These are the Sarcoccocas, Christmas Box, which at first glance are simply fairly ordinary evergreen shrubs but on closer inspection they have many, small, white flowers which emit a fabulous perfume. They also have glossy, black berries which almost look good enough to eat but are much better left for the birds.
Another shrub which has lots of flower buds to promise much for February and beyond but has yet to have many open flowers is the Camellia. These with their large, glossy, green leaves are dotted throughout the Asiatic Garden as you would expect and are well worth closer inspection. In the same area are other shrubs which are full of flower buds and these are the evergreen and deciduous Azaleas which will erupt into a blaze of yellows, oranges, pinks and reds in the coming months.
Finally on shrubs, another plant caught the eye near the end of our visit in a walk through the newly planted area near the Old Gatehouse. This was Viburnum tinus, a winter flowering shrub which is perhaps under-rated by many, possibly because its looks as though it is pleasantly perfumed but actually isn’t! However, it is a very good winter flowerer with tight, white or pink buds which are held from autumn through to this time of year when the buds open to produce attractive clusters of multi-coloured, star-like flowers. The cultivar in the photograph is V. tinus ‘Lisa Rose’, a new plant to me, which will possibly help to revive the popularity of Viburnum tinus generally.
At ground level the early spring bulbs are a delight to see as we approach the end of winter and these are predominantly either Snowdrops, Galanthus, or Daffodils, Narcissus. They are to be found in large drifts in the grass verges around the main lawn, beneath the Magnolia trees in the Alpinum and all around the Rose Walk. I am sure that there are many different Snowdrop varieties to delight the true Galanthophile but for me I am just happy to see their white, nodding flowers and green markings showing that the new gardening year is already on its way.
However, the bulbs are not the only flowers to be found at ground level in February as they are joined by the wonderful Hellebores as well as the earliest of the Pulmonarias. The Hellebores literally burst strongly from the ground and are a real delight on the February garden. All their old leaves have been removed so that the flowers can be easily seen and there are many to find at Aberglasney, particularly in and around the Rose Garden and the walk up to the Asiatic Garden. They come in lots of shades of pink and purple as well as white and for me are a ‘must have’ plant at this time of year. If, like me, you can’t resist them then a look around the newly stocked Plant Sales area near the mansion and shop is probably an essential part of any visit. The Pulmonarias, Lungworts, are a little behind the Hellebores in terms of flowering but there are some to be found in late January and there will certainly be many more throughout February.
Of course interest in any garden doesn’t just come from the flowering plants and this is especially true at this time of year. Several excellent evergreens caught the eye during our visit many of which are suitable for the smaller garden. These include a plant which we grow at home and it certainly earns its keep in our eyes. This is the purple-leaved Pittosporum tenuifolium ‘Tom Thumb’ which at Aberglasney is used to great effect in the Sunken Garden and along the Wisteria Walk. Another is Nandina, the Heavenly Bamboo, which has caught the eye over several months planted as it is under the tall conifers in the upper part of the Stream and Woodland Garden. A plant with similar attractive red and green leaves is Leucothoe which, along with Nandina, make great plants either for pots or borders and which, I noticed, were well represented in the Plant Sales area.
In the same area beneath the trees are two other good ground cover plants for shade with attractive leaves as well as flowers. The first is Bergenia, Elephant’s Ears, with very attractive red undersides and edges to the large leaves and the second is the hardy Cyclamen. The large clumps in the photograph are C. hederifolium, the Ivy-leaved Cyclamen, which flowers before Christmas and the flowers are from C. coum with its smaller, heart-shaped leaves which flowers after Christmas. Both are great plants for really shady areas where many other plants would struggle to even survive. They spread naturally from seed and although they die down in the summer they are a great addition to any garden with difficult, shady patches.
Other highlights which caught the eye were in the Alpinum and the newly created Stumpery nearby. The Dogwoods, Cornus ‘Midwinter Fire’ I think, were almost on fire even on a dull day and the nearby stump with its wonderful covering of fungi is quite a feature in its own right. It just reminds us of the vital role which fungi play in the breakdown of plant materials and the return of nutrients to the soil. I do have to admit though that when I see fungi like this I always worry that it might be the dreaded Honey Fungus which can do so much damage to more mature gardens. However, I am content that this one is quite safe for two reasons- one that head gardener Joseph would not tolerate Honey Fungus in his garden and second that it is not honey-coloured!
Just up the slope from here is the Oriental Bridge and below it are the remains of some of the tree ferns which succumbed to an earlier winter, a feature which stands out at this time of year but is easily missed at other times. In another part of the garden we passed a lovely example of attractive bark which also stands out more prominently in the winter period.
At the end of our visit I had a quick walk around the Ninfarium where the temperature was well into double figures unlike outside and where several glorious Orchids were clearly enjoying the warmth and humidity. Let’s hope that for our next visit in late February the outside temperature will be a little higher- we shall see!
Just in case you missed last month’s blog I will mention again the Channel 5 programme on Aberglasney with Carol Klein. This is great opportunity to have detailed look around the garden with two very knowledgeable guides, Joseph and Carol, who visited the garden several times over a twelve month period including spring of 2020 when due to lockdown the garden was closed to visitors. If you missed it or would like to view it again you will find it online by visiting www.channel5.com and searching for the series ‘Great British Gardens’.
As for jobs in February a general list can be found in the blog archives for February 2020 and a more detailed account on the jobs which we look to do in February in our garden can be found at the end of the February 2021 blog. These include pruning Clematis, tidying herbaceous perennials, top dressing beds with organic matter, feeding the birds and starting some early seed sowing.
I hope that all the above will encourage you to venture out into the February garden at least for brief periods on the better weather days and will whet your appetite for what is to come as we approach March and to what for many is the real start of the gardening year. Until then stay safe and enjoy your gardening.
Keith