I didn’t manage to get out to Cerney House Gardens last year and, knowing there had been some changes, I was determined to visit.
It was a bitterly cold day that even floored the hellebores, which were looking very sorry for themselves.
The snowdrops were more reslient – both those in the formal gardens and the naturalised displays in the woodland that surrounds the main Walled Garden.
Since my last visit at snowdrop time, there’s been work to identify varieties in the display and many of these are now labelled.
Janet Angus, who runs the garden with her husband, Nick, says there are also plans to buy in more snowdrops to bulk up the collection.
The winter aconites were adding a welcome splash of gold. I love these but really struggle to grow them. Seeing them with the snowdrops, I’m tempted to give them another go.
Many of the changes since I last visited Cerney House Gardens are in the Walled Garden. A new Potting Shed shop has been created and was stuffed with temptation.
Later in the year, the beds leading up to it will be full of flowers in fiery tones, part of changes in planting that the garden team introduced last season.
“It’s part of a big push for us to get colour all year round,” Janet tells me.
The hot border relies heavily on dahlias in shades of red and orange. They’ve been grown before in the knot garden at the heart of the Walled Garden but were never really successful. Moving them seems to have paid off.
“They were amazing because the bed gets a lot of sun and is quite sheltered.”
At the top of the Walled Garden, old espaliered fruit trees that had never been productive have been replaced with a cut flower bed.
The team simply threw seeds onto the ground and the results were weeks of beautiful flowers.
“It was just phenomenal. Sometimes, when you do things randomly they turn out the best.”
Another new bed leads up to the Bothy where visitors can get refreshments. Known as the Contrast Border it has a blue and yellow theme.
Of course, on a bleak February day these borders have to be imagined – another trip will definitely be needed later this year.
One new development that can be appreciated now is the Medicinal Herb Garden around the summerhouse.
This was still in the planning stage the last time I talked to Janet and it was good to see it in place.
The eight beds are divided into plants that were traditionally used for different aspects of healing. Foxgloves are planted in the cardiology section, there’s borage in orthopaedic, and lavender in psychiatry.
Despite the many restrictions on travel, Janet says the past year has been good at Cerney House Gardens with many people using it as somewhere to meet (when rules allowed) and a place to escape.
The rise in the number of families visiting means they are planning to add a children’s trail.
Certainly, seeing the snowdrops blooming throughout the garden was a real mood-lifter on a bleak day.
Cerney House Gardens is open daily from 10am until dusk. Details on how you can visit can be seen on the website.
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