What’s in bloom during March:

Walled Garden

• After what has been a very cold winter we are finally seeing some warmer weather. When this has occurred in previous years the Spring flowers have tended to all come out in a rush, and have made a stunning display. It will be interesting to see what happens this year.
• My favourite area at this time of year is the Winter Border, just outside the Walled Garden. There is a fantastic display of snowdrops, winter aconites, witch hazel and winter heathers, plus hellebores. In the Alpine glasshouse there is an ever-changing display of potted spring bulbs including narcissi, reticulated iris and crocus.
  
• If you haven’t visited us recently you’ll have a shock when you enter the Walled Garden: the large tree has been removed to the left of the path leading to the Manor House, and the bed on the right is being cleared. There will be two new rose beds either side of the path, with lavender edging. The diagonal herbaceous beds leading away from the sundial have been cleared by student groups, then double-dug, and large amounts of Eco-Park composted green waste added. A summer display of sweet peas and direct sown annuals will be followed by a Great Dixter style Exotic Border this autumn. Our apologies for the way it looks at the moment, but it should look stunning when it’s finished.
  
• Another major change is the new cacti and succulent display in the Display House: a joint venture with the Lea Valley Branch of the British Cactus and succulent Society. You may recognise their name from the shows they hold here, and they have kindly donated some mature specimens, come up with the planting plan and helped us plant them out.
  
• The two Acacia species (dealbata and pravissima) are coming into flower (lovely dainty, dense cylindrical clusters). In the vegetable border by the back wall some of the rhubarb collection is starting to shoot. Some of the crowns will be covered by black plastic pots to keep the light out to “force” them and give sweet, pale pink tender shoots.
  
  National Garden Centre
  
• Lots of hellebores are in flower and the daffodils are just starting to show in many of the gardens. It won’t be long before the winter bedding comes into flower. There are also some red nice berries on the Nandina domestica in both the Smoker’s garden and the Low Allergy Garden.
  
• Plant Sales are located behind the shop and stock a wide range of plants we’ve grown in the Walled Garden, including potted bulbs. We are in the process of converting to a peat-free potting compost, as recommended by Which? Gardening in their recent trials, to greatly reduce our peat usage.
  
• Which? Gardening are tidying their flowerbeds ready for spring, and the Pergola is being updated to include three types of paving and three types of fencing to give a range of photo shoot backgrounds. New cultivars of daffodils and tulips are being trialled, and it is interesting to see which lavenders in the trial bed have survived the harsh winter.
  
  Estates
  
• The new Monocot Bed on the lawn in front of the house contains a good mixture of mostly clump-forming ornamental grasses, and some Bearded Irises from a local collection. A selection of alliums have been planted up, and we plan to add summer-flowering bulbs and corms over the coming months.
  
• The lawn is showing a good selection of crocus, and to the right of the house there is a spectacular drift of snowdrops, leading to the Haddonstone Ruin. The rhododendrons are coming into bud, and will contrast nicely with the daffodils and narcissi in
  front of them in the lawn areas.
  
• The winter aconites are carpeting the Magnolia Border on your right as you walk towards the maze.
  
• You can see winter heathers near the Koi Pond and Cyclamen coum and Scilla siberica in the Rock Garden.
  
• The Blue Border near the Stable Block has a nice display of Iris reticulate J.S. Dijt plus blue and purple crocii. The Globe Artichoke are showing fresh silvery-grey leaves which contrast nicely with the bulbs.
  

The Walled Garden: removal of the Sophora japonica tree

  by Mr Fallowfield