Spring 2025: Head Gardener's Notes

The unexpected (but very welcome!) spell of warm and dry weather in March means that the gardens are now greening very quickly, with buds on the cherry trees about to flower and the daffodils in full bloom. Much of the gardens teams’ work at this time of year involves preparing for full-time opening with grassed areas mown short and edging being renewed and redefined.

What is in flower?

• In the orchard, the large-headed daffodils are fully flowering into April, closely followed by the apple blossom
• In the nut garden, the small-headed Narcissus will be followed by the native bluebell and tulip plantings
• The magnolia garden displays are coming into their own – fingers crossed for no hard frosts…
• The first of the herbaceous flowers will begin to appear as the garden greens up with the apple, pear and lime trees setting their leaves
• Roses will begin to flower from the end of April with the ‘May Gold’ climbing rose on the pergola being one of the first

The Flag Garden

• The empty lavender beds in the flag garden continue to be prepared for planting as we manage weeds such as bindweed. The lavender will be planted in May to (hopefully) avoid frosts and to let the soil warm for the new plants, Lavender ‘Hidcote Blue’

Growing

• Behind the scenes, our glasshouse is full of flowers for the garden, including 1,000 white Cosmos for the Italian garden and perennials for the many borders
• Did you know that we grow around 80% of the plants that end up in the garden ourselves in our small nursery behind the scenes!

Current jobs

• Division and moves of herbaceous plants to avoid congestion in the borders and/or to try different plant combinations
• Planting of annuals after they have been hardened off (after frosts)
• Beginning of our maintenance round to keep the displays together and to battle the weeds!