The air is full of expectation. With only 1 week until we open, the site is buzzing with life. None more so than this March, as there have been some rather exciting changes over the winter.
The raised beds in the walled garden that play host initially, to our trademark tulip display, and then laterally become the vegetable and sunflower beds, have had to be removed as they were slowly disintegrating.
We have used this opportunity to redesign the top terrace and make a more open space for visitors to relax and enjoy the surroundings. Edging the terrace there are two larger flower beds, displaying:
Nepeta ‘Walkers Low’
Orlaya grandiflora
Iris ‘Jane Phillips’
Salvia nachtlinder
Tulbaghia violacea pallida
Viola cornuta alba
Linaria purpurea
Scabiosa caucasica ‘Perfecta Blue’
Rosa de rescht
Rosa Jacques Cartier Rosa Amanda Paternotte
A narrower bed running the length of terrace, planted with the very well behaved, Rosemary ‘Miss Jessop’s Upright’ will create a fabulously fragrant hedge, enclosing the area. Steps down from the terrace take you to a new lawn, edged with a row of Caryopteris ‘Kew Blue’ on one side and the Peony walk on the other. Last but certainly not least we have restored and renovated a water feature at the end of the lawn equipped with fountain and surrounded by :
Rosa Old Blush
Rosa White Pet Caryopteris ‘Kew Blue’ Campanula ‘Chettle Charm’ Viola Cornuta Alba
“But what about the Tulips?”
So as you can see, it has been all change, but we don’t want you to panic about our mini tulip festival which would have filled the raised beds. The Tulips are still in the walled garden. They have been relocated to the other side of the Peony walk, in two separate areas. In the cut flower bed we have planted 100 bulbs in 4 different varieties:
Happy Family, Purple Bouquet, Night Club and Evergreen
And Tulips: Everlasting Love, Burgandy, Ballerina, Mariette and Marianne, are next to the Achillea bed, and already in bud. This is due to the fact that they were brought on under glass this year. The tulips in the cut flower bed were planted out in November and have been slower to form flower. This will lead to a longer Tulip season in the garden.
The tubs around the courtyards are brimming with Tulips too, including La Belle Epoque, Estella Rynveldt, Green Star and Dolls Minuet. What’s not to like.
Whilst this has all been incredibly exciting, for me, the true magic is in the joy of watching the existing plants spring into action. There is something amazing in seeing all the spring bulbs burst into flower. My practical brain knows this is what they do, and will do year after year, but I am always surprised / relieved / overjoyed that they do.
This year we have put in a further 2000 bulbs, consisting of Camassia lecithin caerlea in the parkland, Crocus sativus ( Saffron crocus) in the dye bed, Crocus and Narcissus along the drive, Fritillary and species tulips in the long border bank. While most of the crocus are over now, the drive to the lodge is awash with Scilla and narcissus and looks really quite ethereal. The blue is almost ultraviolet and is truly breath taking.
The Narcissus in the parkland, planted to encircle the trees lift the spirits immediately. Primroses in the Peacock Garden, in dainty shades of dusky pink and buttercream yellow have me imagining fairies living under their leaves, such is their enchanting nature.
The Apple walk sees the Scilla sibirica and Pushkina (the Russian snowdrop) poking through the newly composted beds. The Muscari and bluebells are on their way, as if the first bulbs to flower have told them :
It’s O.K. out here, come on, join us”
It is not all about the bulbs though, the fresh green growth of all the other plants, the nodding heads of the Hellebores and the bud burst on the trees make Houghton feel truly special right now.
The winter can be very pedestrian, as we cut back, retrain and attend to the more mundane jobs of maintenance (over 40 tonnes of manure have been spread throughout the garden this year) but it is March, this month when everything gets going, as if to say “Thank you for looking after us” that makes our job the best in the world. The hard work has paid off. The garden is ready, ready for our visitors, to soak up and enjoy.
