SPRING to mind Hamilton Tulip
With spring upon us things really start to get moving in our grounds with plenty of colour starting to appear
PAUL THORNTON, Head Gardener, Rugby School
At ground level bulbs of all descriptions have been coming up unseasonably early this year but later varieties will continue to come through for many weeks ahead yet. Bulbs can be used in containers, in bedding schemes or quite simply naturalised in drifts to enhance the look of any grounds. Daffodils and Tulips immediately spring to mind and both of these groups have plenty to offer with several more unusual forms and colour combinations to choose from. Daffodils (Narcissus) come in the traditional trumpet forms like Narcissus ‘Arctic Gold’ and N ‘Dutch Master’ but there are some lovely doubles like N ‘Cheerfulness’ and N ‘White Lion’. Jonquilla daffodils have smaller flowers but have three or more flowers borne on the same stem with some very attractive cultivars to choose from. N ‘Tete-a-tete’ is a multiheaded dwarf hybrid that looks fantastic in tubs or baskets. Tulips, too, offer some interesting variations, notably the double forms like Tulipa ‘Peach blossom’ or the red T. ‘Carlton’. The real showstoppers must be the fringed and feathered varieties like the yellow T. ‘Hamilton’ or the salmon pink, green striped and feathered T. ‘Fantasy’.
Many others to choose from
Of course there are more bulb varieties than just Daffodils and Tulips as a trip to Rugby School in February will tell you, where the mound at the side of the Close is a mesmerising array of gold white and purple Crocuses. They can also make a stunning addition to winter hanging baskets just at a time when they need brightening up a bit. Hyacinths planted in groups make a welcome addition to borders to as they stand like candlesticks glowing in the spring garden.
Snowdrops 70
Others to consider are the harbingers of spring; White Snowdrops, and golden Winter Aconites, not to mention blue
Chionodoxa and Muscari (Grape Hyacinth) which few people realise are also available in white.
Shrubs
Moving up to eye level, several shrubs are bursting into flower and these include the Forsythia. Forsythia is a shrub that we sometimes fail to get excited about because it is seemingly so commonplace in gardens. And yet, how dull the garden would be without it during these early months of spring. Surprisingly though, there are many species and cultivars to choose from and this amiable and easy going shrub will tolerate almost any soil type and thrive in full sun or partial shade. All have the characteristic bright yellow trumpet shaped flowers borne either singly or in groups of up to five along the length of the stems, but the size and shape varies from specie to specie.
This means that there is one for almost any situation; Forsythia ovata for instance will only reach about one metre high making it ideal for growing beneath a window or towards the front of a border. A larger version is F. x intermedia which is the most commonly grown, is of erect habit and will reach between six and nine feet tall, but can be kept smaller with regular pruning if required. For a more open, spreading habit choose
F. suspensa which is ideal for covering a wall, if tied back with wires, and given a good hair cut with shears a couple of times a year. The important thing to remember with
Forsythia is that it flowers best on the previous years growth, so prune it each year after flowering to encourage a fresh crop of new growth to flower the following spring.
Trees
Trees will now start to green up and produce blossom, with Flowering Cherries
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