The cold earth slept below;
Above the cold sky shone;
And all around,
With a chilling sound,
From caves of ice and fields of snow
The breath of night like death did flow
Beneath the sinking moon.Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822)
At the time of writing, we have just experienced the second named storm in a fortnight, suffered much widespread damage and the day is gloomy with intermittent drizzle. Spring appears a lifetime away but it seems like an appropriate time to look forward to some delights to come. With the inevitability of climate change the plants below may become ubiquitous in many other gardens over coming years.
Abelias are a small group of shrubs, which are not totally hardy in the U.K. but can flourish given the shelter of a warm wall. Some of them such as A. schumannii and hybrids such as A. x grandiflora and A. x ‘Edward Goucher’ are valuable for their long flowering season, which extends from mid-summer to late autumn. However, the most spectacular of the species is undoubtedly Abelia floribunda, which for several weeks in early summer, is festooned with 1-2 inch tubular flowers of a pleasing cerise red colour, along every branch and twig. Its only necessity is a wall for support since its ungainly growth demands training. All the species are unfussy as to soil but require sunny positions.
The Digitalis family, commonly known as foxgloves, are many and varied but predominantly consist of herbaceous perennials or biennials. Until recently Isoplexis were designated as a small family of semi-shrubby plants from Atlantic islands, with an affinity to digitalis, but have now been recognised and assimilated into that family. Hailing from the Canaries, D.canariensis and D.isabelliana are smaller in stature than D.sceptrum, growing between 4-6 foot with 9 inch spikes of orange or apricot. The Madeiran Digitalis sceptrum grows to 8 foot and like all the above species is not reliably hardy, and must therefore be grown in a pot unless you live in a mild climate. It has 10 inch long rusty orange flowers. My original plant produced 25 flowers before succumbing to “The Beast from the East” but a 5 year old replacement has been planted in its place.
Visiting National Garden Scheme gardens at the beginning of the year can be an exciting and rewarding experience, whetting the appetite for future delights.
There are not many gardens that repay a visit at any time of year but 4 acre Llwyngarreg near Whitland in Carmarthenshire is surely one of them and absolutely deserves its recent inclusion in Tony Russell’s latest book entitled ’The Great Gardens of Wales’. Developed by Paul and Liz O’Neill over many years, it has many rarities but also has features to appeal to visitors’ humour and amusement. At this time of year there is an emphasis on scent with Daphne bholua ‘Jacqueline Postill’ providing a delicious heavy perfume which lasts for several months and being complimented by the spicy Hamamelis ’Arnold Promise’. Then there is the amazing chocolatey scent of Azara microphylla, which is a delicate small tree flowering in February. There are beds of alpines, displays of Cornus ‘Midwinter Fire’, early flowering Rhododendron oreodoxa and a multitude of self-seeding Helleborus orientalis hybrids everywhere. The ‘candy stripe bamboo’ Himalayacalamus falconeri ‘Damarapa’ has spectacular colouring on its stems which are an arresting sight when no competition surrounds it. Make a winter visit!
Llwyngarreg
You are guaranteed a warm welcome at Llys-Y-Gwynt, Bangor, especially in the colder months. The garden’s magnificent views of Snowdonia really come into their own in February, when the frequently snowcapped mountains provide a wonderful backdrop to this winter garden. There is a Bronze Age burial cairn and the winding paths and varied levels are planted to create shelter and all year-round interest with a variety of ‘garden rooms’. Ponds, a waterfall, bridge and other features of interest can be found within this garden, lovingly created by Jennifer Rickards and John Evans.
Llys-Y-Gwynt
NGS Open Gardens
Welsh Country has two NGS open garden sections. The first ‘Open Gardens’ are gardens that are open on specific days and the ‘Long Term Open Gardens’ which are by appointment only. There is a search facility on each page so simply search for a garden name or an area of Wales (i.e. Swansea) you’d like to visit.
Words: Rob Dyer
Pictures: National Garden Scheme & Annette Dyer
National Garden Scheme: Frances Bowyer
