Jo's News and Views No5 May 2025

howardhollands
Jun 30
3 min read

Hello Everyone

There is definitely more than a touch of Spring around us, isn't there. The very wet March followed by a very warm April has led to a glorious Spring in the garden that just keeps giving. Apparently it is the warmest Spring on record.

At the start of the drive is this lovely Sambucus nigra 'Black Lace'. It has lacy leaves that are a very dark purple, almost black and they show off the pale pink flowers to perfection, photo 1. Also along the drive is this Rosa sericea subsp. omeiensis, the Mount Omei rose. It has the most amazing red hooked stems that are almost translucent when back-lit by sunlight, photo 2.

Outside the Visitors Centre is a large Cotinus that seems very happy there, photo 3. The vibrant red leaves are accompanied by clouds of tiny pinkish-red flowers that give the appearance of smoke, hence the common name of Smoke bush. At the Front of the house the beautiful Acer shirasawanum 'Aureum', Gypsophila paniculata and the Rosa 'Ellen Willmott' were looking lovely, photo 4. On the Front Lawn the group of Rhododendrons and Acer made a very colourful border, photo 5. The flowers on the rhododendrons are so beautiful, photos 6 and 7.

Walking along the path into the garden I stopped to admire the view through the Headache Tree bed, photo 8. It is amazing just how many shades of green nature can produce, isn't it! In the Rose Garden, the wisteria, roses and tree peonies are all doing well, photo 9. It is lovely to see roses again here, photo 10, and I am sure there are more tree peonies to follow, photo 11. In the Wild Garden area nearby was this unassuming tree that looks as though it doesn't deserve to be there, photo 12, the Enkianthus. Nothing to look at you say! However if you look up into its canopy there are clusters of the most exquisite tiny flowers that do deserve a mention, photo 13. I always look for the flowers in Spring because they make me smile. At the end of Bowling Green Lawn are a group of Irises, 'Dauntless', that catch the light there and make a welcome addition to this area, photo 14.

On the top of the wall along the Hollow Lawn area there was a row of corn poppies, photo 15. The seeds probably caught in the moss and then they rely on the moisture from it too. The Wisteria covering the Yew tree just beyond the Asylum has flowered really well this year, photo 16. It has grown so well and now covers the Yew tree like the old one used to do. On the other side of the bridge one of the Ostriches was surrounded by a sea of poppies, photo 17. Then walking down the New River Lawn the big blousy Paulownia tomentosa, the Foxglove tree, was in full flower, photo 18. The common name comes from the fact that the flowers do look just like foxglove flowers, photo 19.

Down in the Kitchen Garden I stopped to admire the Iris collection, photo 20. Two of my favourites were Early Light, photo 21 and Iceni Sunset , photo 22. The USA part of the collection was divided and replanted last year so it will take a couple of years to recover. However it is important to do this so that the collection survives and remains healthy.

Beyond the pond is the Liriodendron tulipifera, the Tulip tree, photo 23. The common name derives from the fact that the flowers resemble tulips, photo 24. They are yellowish-green with orange markings inside. Another striking flower that grows in abundance around the garden is Phlomis, or Turkish sage, photo 25. I am fascinated by this plant as the stem grows up through the whorls of flowers. I haven't worked out how it does it yet but I'll let you know if I do!

Finally, only one little bird to share with you this time but it is a real beauty, the Goldfinch, photo 26. They are unmistakable with their bright red faces and yellow wing patch.