MARCH
Out & About
Phoebe Jayes recommends some of the UK’s most romantic gardens and rounds up outdoor jobs to do in early spring – as well as the latest news
Spring jobs ● Order seed potatoes
ready for chitting and planting later in spring. ● Finish winter pruning
wisteria, shortening shoots to two buds to encourage more flowering spurs. ● Deciduous trees and
shrubs can be moved now, while they are still dormant, provided the ground isn’t frozen or waterlogged. ● Lift, divide and
replant snowdrops once their flowers have faded to increase existing clumps.
Budding ROMANCE We round up five of the country’s most romantic gardens, perfect for a Valentine’s stroll with a loved one and beautiful at any time of year Stourhead
Nymans
Iford Manor Gardens
This rambling 18th-century garden in Wiltshire (below) was described as ‘a living work of art’ when it opened. The focus is on water: trees and classical buildings surround a sinuous lake. Tel: +44 (0)1747 841152; nationaltrust.org.uk
Created by Ludwig Messel in the 19th century, this Sussex garden is set around a romantic stone house and ruins. Its 13 acres feature sculpture, topiary and exotic plants. Tel: +44 (0)1444 405250; nationaltrust.org.uk
These Italianate gardens were designed by Harold Peto in the 19th century and sit in the idyllic Frome Valley in Bath. Steps twist around statues, columns and urns on a terraced hillside with splendid views. Tel: +44 (0)1225 863146; ifordmanor.co.uk
Crook Hall Each of the 15 gardens at Crook Hall in Durham has its own style. See blowsy roses in the Walled Garden, enjoy sculpture in the Shakespeare Garden and visit the Silver and White Garden, which honours a 25th wedding anniversary. Tel: +44 (0)191 3848028; crookhallgardens.co.uk 10 THE ENGLISH GARDEN MARCH 2022
Bowood House Designed by ‘Capability’ Brown in the 1760s, these Wiltshire pleasure grounds (above) include a terrace with trickling fountains, a Doric temple, woodland gardens and views over a mile-long lake. Tel: +44 (0)1249 812102; bowood.org
● March is the ideal
month to improve soil by mulching. Spread a generous layer of organic mulch such as compost on the soil surface – about a barrowload every two square metres. ● Take root cuttings
of oriental poppies (below), verbascum, phlox and acanthus.
