Snowdrops and other delights at Doddington Hall 2026 (part two)

Here are more photos from the visit to Doddington Hall last weekend.  

I do enjoy photos where you are looking through door or gates or hedges.

Here is a close up of the rhododendron which you can just see in the middle of the previous photo.

It is such a peaceful place.

This is looking at the back of the house, and there will be lots of bearded irises in flower here later in the Spring.  Look at that blue sky - something we haven't seen that much of this dull, grey, wet winter.

We saw a single iris, probably a reticulata, which was just going over, but which had very painterly stripes.

Around the ancient sweet chestnut trees (at least 450 years old), there were more crocuses, early daffodils, cyclamen and snowdrops.

Those trees are incredible.

The crocuses were loving the sunshine.

Back in the kitchen garden, the bug hotel 'sculptures' were looking good.

These birch tree trunks had been drilled to provide more insect homes - perhaps for solitary bees.  They made a striking feature too.

It was a lovely visit and the weather made it so much more enjoyable.

Snowdrops and other delights at Doddington Hall 2026 (part one)

Last Saturday, when it wasn't raining and there was some lovely winter sunshine, we set off to Doddington Hall, just outside Lincoln, to see their snowdrops and other plants.  We had a slow journey due to an accident on a main road, which meant we had to go round the villages just like everyone else.  However, we got there and enjoyed our look round.  Above was from the kitchen garden and I liked the grasses and seedheads which hadn't been cut down yet.    

They looked lovely with the sun on them.

We headed off into the gardens and there were large drifts of snowdrops, together with crocuses, enjoying the sun too.

So beautiful!

There were also Leucojum (Spring Snowflakes), looking like giant snowdrops...

...and cyclamen coum.

The snowdrops were the stars.

Around the corner wafted the most delicious scent, which was coming from this Daphne. 

Views across the gardens were lovely.

Some early rhododendrons were in flower.

The foliage of this Arum italicum marmoratum is stunning, although this plant is poisonous.

The white stems of the bramble (Rubus Cockburnianus) shone out across the grass, completely overshadowing the wire unicorn sculpture.

More to come in part two. 

Welcome, February!

I am pleased that it's February.  While I don't want to wish the time away, January always seems to be at least twice the length of any other month.  I was having a wander in the garden yesterday and these old stems from a herbaceous clematis caught my eye.

There's something very sculptural about them.

Then further down the garden, there were some snowdrops looking fresh, elegant and gorgeous.  

They are definitely one of my favourite flowers.

Hopefully I will get out to see some in the big drifts where they look so wonderful.  Yes, welcome to February!

Winter flowers

Although it is still quite early for a lot of plants to be flowering, there are plants to enjoy. Above is Hellebore Winter Ballet Lulu, recovered after having a snowy hat.

Here is a Hellebore Credale double with just one flower so far, but a beautiful looking pink picotee edge to the petals.

Hellebore Hello Ruby just starting to flower.

Hellebore Ice and Roses Red looking very glamorous.

Cyclamen coum with its silvery leaves and pink buds.

Snowdrops, which really do need dividing this year.  They used to have lots of flowers but these have dwindled so I really need to dig them up, divide and replant them, giving them more room.  Of course, the heat in Summer is not really to their liking, so that won't have helped. 

Three more flowers.

Finally, Hellebore Ericsmithii Winter Sunshine, again flowering but perhaps not quite so happily as in previous years.  It may not have liked the heat either, but may need to be in a bigger pot now.  Lots for me to do when the weather is slightly less wet!

Wintry weather (for the UK)

Like many parts of the UK, we have had some snow.  I know this isn't the depth or duration of snow that other countries get, but here it is becoming more unusual to get any and if we do, everything grinds to a halt, as somehow we are never prepared for it! Above is my new hellebore, bravely flowering away despite the weather.

I took these photos last Monday, at lunchtime, so the snow was beginning to melt (and had gone completely by Wednesday).

Scotland has had much more than we have here. I like looking at the snow, but don't enjoy having to travel anywhere in it. Here is our patio table and some pots of bulbs.

You can just make out a cyclamen coum in bud to the left of the pot and you can see the noses of snowdrops starting to push up - always such a positive sign.

I leave the old foliage of grasses and perennials over winter for any insects.  I will cut the grasses down in February. 

I think the hydrangea flowers look lovely with their snowy hats!  I think we are due some more wintry weather over the coming days as Storm Goretti sweeps in.  I think we will be having heavy rain in this area but this may become snow - we shall see.  In the South of the UK, they are bracing themselves for 80-90 mph winds. I hope people will be sensible and keep safe. 

Snowdrops and other delights - part two

While I thoroughly enjoyed seeing all the snowdrops on our visit, Doddington Hall gardens have some lovely vistas, like this, looking up to the house.

I am always intrigued by views through gates and doorways - what is around that corner?  You can just make out a rhododendron in flower.

Imposing gateways leading to more formal areas near the house.

A view looking the other way, down to the eyecatcher in the distance.

This little corner caught my eye with the mossy tree and the snowdrops and cyclamen leaves nestled beneath.

I managed to capture a slice of spring here with early daffodils, snowdrops, cyclamen coum, and pulmonaria.  There will also be a primrose or primula soon.

In the kitchen garden, we were impressed by these sculptural bug hotels which we are going to copy, possibly in a slightly smaller form, up at our allotment.

This water bowl would be another nice idea up there too.   We thoroughly enjoyed our visit, which ended, as all garden visits should, with tea and cake!