Glenarn Open

Suddenly it’s all coming alive! Magnolias are opening and are stunning- huge flowers against the sky, whether blue or grey. And lots more to follow in the next couple of weeks.

The Gibson large- leaved crosses are also

flowering well and give an exotic flavour to the garden. Many are now vast trees, some national champion trees in their own right. After last year’s visit from Owen Johnson, the Tree Recorder for Britain and Ireland, we are planning a Champion Trees walk later this spring. By Easter you will be able to follow the ‘champions’ yourselves using the insert in the leaflet and searching out the additional identifying labels. More about this later.

We have worked really hard with our helpers, trainee and volunteers to clean out the pond, cut back overhanging branches, rake all the footpaths, spread compost over all the beds and collect huge piles of sticks from the winter’s storms. There have been many bonfires including last weekend the whole (rotten) roof of the shade house, now beautifully replaced in hardwood and aluminium slats by Colin Spy - without damaging a single plant!

When it was still very wet in February we started planting and have added many trees and rhododendrons, some of which have been waiting a couple of years. The dry spells of previous years restricted what we could do - but not this year.

Wildlife

appears to be increasing. We have had 4 sightings this year of red squirrels, the roe deer are much in evidence, pheasants have returned and gather by the feeders in the morning with the small birds. The frogs had an early mating party at the end of February and both ponds are full of frogspawn. And we found a hibernating hedgehog in the rock garden in February!

Hope to see you here while it is full of colour!