We might have snow, ice and bitter winds in February but none of that stops all the wonderful first bulbs from appearing. Snowdrops, crocus, early daffodils and the jewel-like early irises. However wintry or wet the weather, the garden here starts to look and feel like spring. The most exciting aspect at this time of year is the way that the days are lengthening. By the end of this month dawn is breaking not long after 6am and it is still light by 6pm. Every day there is more and more light.
As many of you will know snowdrops gets my pulse racing. I am obsessed with them and will admit I’m a complete galanthophile. Snowdrops spring up regardless of the weather and will carry on reliably reappearing year after year for generations. Each year they spread a little more by seed and I speed that process up by lifting and dividing every February. Did you know that snowdrops contain their own anti-freeze protecting the plants from frost and snow? In fact snowdrops were harvested during the First World War to make anti-freeze for tanks. I adore them and I love to pick just a small posy for indoors where the heat of the room brings out their wonderful honey fragrance. At this time of year, the sight of the first snowdrop is such a joy and fills my heart with hope and that is the spark that fires my gardening year and every day thereafter is touched with excitement.
And talking of excitement – our new footbridge is complete. The scaffolding has been removed and apart from some landscaping and finishing touches to do – it is all finished and looking fantastic. We are also thrilled to have featured in the January 21st issue of Country Life and named as one of the top twelve gardens to visit in the country, plus we have a seven page feature on us in the March issue of The English Garden magazine – out now. We’re certainly on a roll!
The first violets start peeking from the base of our hedges here in late January but by mid-February they are resplendent. They do not leap out at you but gently invite you in. A little clump of violets is, if the ground is not too wet, something to get down on your knees for and enter into their microscopic world.
The sweet violet Viola odorata is a woodland plant and in this garden grow and run along the base of our hornbeam and hawthorn hedges in little splatters of colour. Look closely at their individual flowers and they vary quite a bit in their shades of purple and mauve with the occasional pure white one. And like snowdrops hold a bunch of any shade to your nose and you will be transfixed with their gentle fragrance. It has been copied in sweets and soaps but nothing can compare to the scent of real violet flowers.
Kate Elliott came to Columbine Hall in 1997 when she was sixteen. She is now head gardener but also helps with managing the property generally and in conducting guided tours.