Following an exceptionally mild February and an exceptionally wet one (nearly 6 inches), the gardens are as advanced as they have ever been. Our Japanese bananas (outdoors) grew several inches during the month, which is extraordinary. The Euonymus hedges were covered in ladybirds, which was great to see. March continues to resemble the Aprils of a generation ago, and it certainly makes it more pleasant to work in. The lack of frosts means many of the flowers and blossoms appear a month earlier, last longer and look better than ever. However, that does not mean we won’t have another late frost or hard winter again one day. Gardener Tracey even recorded a hummingbird hawk-moth on some flowers in the garden on the 4th of February.

The average temperature last month was around 9.8°C in the day and 5.9°C at night, which meant that the grass grew strongly and kept gardener Rob busy. March will be a fantastic month to visit, with all the winter borders at their very best and, in addition, all the magnolia blossom, banks and swathes of daffodils, cherry blossom, huge banks of primroses and tulips, and much more. It will likely be another mild month with few frosts and more sunshine as the month progresses, but we often find a northeasterly wind picking up at times and making it feel cooler, although that dries the soil and grass, which is useful.

We will be applying lots of compost to the borders as a mulch to keep the moisture in during hot summer spells and also to improve the soil structure. We will also cut all the yew hedges and topiary. Along with mowing, these tasks will keep us very busy.

James Cross, Head Gardener