Signs of spring are showing now at Arundel Castle
It’s amazing to think that spring is just around the corner.
Throughout the castle landscape tens of thousands of daffodils (narcissus) are peeping up through the grass ready to flower from late February with varieties such as ‘February Gold’ in March, ‘Dutch Master’ in mid-April ‘Thalia triandrus’, which is my favourite and is sometimes known as the ‘orchard flowering narcissus’ producing two beautiful white flowers on one stem with a height of 30cm. We have planted 12,000 of these in our grass labyrinth along with red Apeldoorn tulips as a major display, other narcissus for April are ‘Milner’ and ‘Sailboat’. A good late variety for May is the attractive ‘Pheasant Eye’. Daffodil bulbs are used by pharmaceutical companies in producing medicine that helps with Alzheimer’s, but is best known as the national flower of Wales.
The most effective flowers at this time of the year are the ‘Eranthis’ known as winter’s aconites with their bright yellow flowers it’s not surprising to learn they are part of the ‘buttercup’ family and originate from Southern Europe across to Turkey. They can form a spectacular carpet of yellow when planted under deciduous trees. Add them to snowdrops and you have a wonderful combination of gold and white. Castle Howard in Yorkshire is famous for its winter display at this time of the year.
‘Snowdrops’ are a seasonal favourite, especially for the vast numbers of keen followers, known as a galanthophiles, ‘Galanthus plicatus’ was believed to have been brought back by the soldiers from the Crimean War between 1853 to1854 in their backpacks; and this in turn ignited the collectors’ enthusiasm in Britain. By 1892 snowdrop passion had taken hold and a specialist Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) conference was held where James Allen revealed his extensive hybridising work to an audience keen to try new cultivars and seedlings.
Here at Arundel Castle we have some wonderful early flowering plants in the gardens and landscape, which puts a spring in our step! One of the great winter flowering plants to add colour to any garden are hellebores, with so many hybrid crosses these days there’s lots to choose from.
In the castle Stumpery garden hellebores look fantastic amongst the ancient tree stumps. We have planted the native stinking hellebore – don’t let the name put you off – it has distinctive bright green petals and deep red tips. Other pretty varieties are ‘Briar Rose’ and ‘Pink Ice’ very pale pink picotee hellebores, the attractive ‘Dusky Beauty’ with its cupped flowers and yellow/cream centre are truly beautiful, the double flowered and anemone centred hellebores will add depth and character to any flower bed. A favourite is the very exotic ruffled centred and elegant white picotee edged with plum and a beautiful centre.
A few tips from the castle garden team:
• Check all new planted trees and shrubs have not been lifted by frost or rocked by the wind; re-firm the ground around them if necessary. • When weather permits plant roses, fruit trees, trees and shrubs when the ground is not frosted. • When planting roses and fruit trees we recommend using mycorhizal fungi known as root grow which helps to stimulate the root growth resulting in a healthier plant or tree. • Continue feeding your birds. • Cut down autumn flowering raspberries to the base as they will fruit on this year’s growth and add mulch with farmyard manure, this will give you better quality fruit and help retain moisture. • Winter wash the apple trees to kill off woolly aphids. • Start preparing areas for lawns ready for sowing grass seed in March/April. • Start preparing your trenches for runner beans. • Start ‘chitting’ your early seed potatoes. • Prepare seed beds by warming up the soil using cloches
Happy gardening!