Rosie Fyles, Head of Gardens, at Chiswick House and Gardens, writes on plants, nature, seasons: the latest from our local green haven every month.
Light, bulb, moments…

Written for The Chiswick Calendar.

When the first daffodils arrive ‘Rijnveld’s Early Sensation’ I am torn. Part of me feels joy at their brand new, gaudy yellow when most things them around are faded, worn. The other part feels a sense of discomfort, unnerved. They are ridiculously, questionably early…

Described by bulb growers as ‘earliest’ and flowering in ‘Christmas’ or ‘late December’, the planting at Corney Road Gate, from 2022, has flowered much sooner, the earliest ever on 28 November 2024. Gardener Chris noted the ‘clash of the seasons’ with his picture of the perennial sunflower (Helianthus salicifolius) and Rijnveld’s in 2024, yellow shades of summer and winter/spring, anyone?

Snowdrops make me happier. Their reliability, unique recognisability and ability to bring milky light to areas of dank, darkness mean that in gardens, you can never have enough. They have been at their best this January and February at Chiswick House.

A few things I have learned about snowdrops… Once you have a few, you can build up an impressive collection, for two reasons.

First, they are easy and forgiving to divide. Dig them out gently when their flowers have failed and the ground is not too waterlogged (pick your moment and your tool, gardeners argue over spade or fork on this point), pull apart gently and compost anything sickly, replant to same depth in clumps of smaller number. Try to plant randomly, a natural scatter. Snowdrops like it moist, fortunately…

Second, because of their rather complex genetics (beyond me), they are prone to hybridising, making unique specimens for future generations. Without knowing, you might have your own collection of never seen before cultivars…

If you want to start a collection, now is the time to buy plants ‘in the green’, flowers faded. Look for the December-flowering Galanthus elwesii and the slightly later Galanthus plicata and nivalis. It is never too late to become a galanthophile.

What else is bringing the light to the gardens?

Camellias, the first flower was spotted on 17 November this season and now, they are coming into their own with bursts of old-fashioned reds, pinks and whites all around the shrubbery.

Crocuses, Daffodils, Scillas, Hellebores – in the shrubbery and in the early opening Kitchen Garden too Thursdays and Fridays in March. We are opening in March so that everyone can enjoy the fabulous early spring flowering in the kitchen garden.

I have done the maths on bulbs since I arrived at Chiswick House Gardens: 178,000 (hand) planted plus more than 10,000 snowdrops. Thank goodness for great and big teams of staff and volunteers.

What I’m doing in my own garden this month:

Pruning roses (busman’s holiday), cutting back grasses, moving around Foxgloves where I dare, fussing over Hellebore leaves and trying not to tread on emerging bulbs. Admiring the strident Rhubarb.

What to look out for in the gardens:

Another bulb, Corydalis in the Italian Garden. It’s unusual and a bit ‘Marmite’… Plus gardeners dividing snowdrops.