Snowdrops at the Gardens

"Fair Maids of February"



I paid a visit to Castle Bromwich Hall Gardens at lunchtime today to see the stunningly beautiful snowdrop display. There are several other spring flowers starting to bloom too - winter aconite, crocuses, wallflowers,cyclamen, hellebores and primroses.




THE SNOWDROP..... HOPE

" A thousand bright flowers shall gladden the Earth,
When Summer comes forth in her beauty and mirth;
Yet none more delightful imaginings bring,
Than those that are first in our path-way to Spring.

Undaunted thou comest, 'mid snow and'mid sleet,
From Earth's sheltering bosom, thy Winter retreat;
Thou comest, the herald of pleasures to be,
Of the scent of the rose-bud, the hum of the bee.

Thou art not of those who delight in the rays,
The sunny resplendence of Summer's glad days;
Nor of those who look up to the bright skies of June,
Yet fold up their beauty beneath the mild moon.

Of such art not thou - no, an emblem more dear,
Of the friend that is kindest when sorrow is near;
The storm doth not cross thee - the rain doth not blight -
And thou pointest, like Hope, to a season more bright."

I found this lovely poem in "The Lover's Language of Flowers" featured in my last post but unfortunately it does not give the name of the poet.

Most of the snowdrops are found in the Lower Wilderness and in the Extra Grounds near the Stumpery.








Winter aconites are flowering too





The little white flower in the above photo is a close relative of the snowdrop - a snowflake (what a great name for a flower!). Many thanks to Graham for identifying this species!







There are far more blooms on the pansies and daisies in the trough in the Melon Grounds compared to my January visit.







North Orchard - buds are starting to appear on the daffodils





Part of the Lower Wilderness



Hazel catkins in the Nut Ground



When I visited last Spring this little area used as a "Digging for Victory" plot was full of butterflies - today it had a lot of bird species - great spotted woodpecker, robin, blackbird, blue great and long-tailed tits. There were quite a few other birds around today - another robin that seemed to be following me about, two jays, wrens, carrion crows, woodpigeons and magpies.




Part of the Stumpery



One of the lovely things about winter is that the lack of leaves on the trees gives you chance to note the structures of the trees and examine the varied tree barks.







I think this primrose bank is a new feature - its situated where the South Kitchen Garden meets the Holly Walk near the Summer House.





Part of the Upper Wilderness looking towards the Gazebo and New Trellis



Parterres and Upper Wilderness



Upper Wilderness with the Gazebo and New Trellis at the far end



I found this plant with beautiful foliage near the entrance. I am not sure what species it is but I'll keep an eye out for any flowers that appear.




For more information on these delightful gardens, including visiting hours, please visit the Garden's website at www.cbhgt.org.uk.

And to see some great snowdrop pictures and a lovely tale about "Luke the Snowflake" please visit the Castle Bromwich Hall Gardens Blog at http://castlebromwichhallgardenstrust.blogspot/com or follow the link at the right hand side of the page under "My Blog" list. There is also a great post on the blog featuring Plant of the Month which has lots of fascinating information and pictures of snowdrops.