When Gardeners’ Question Time was broadcast from the Gardens, one of the panel said that this was one of the finest azalea gardens in the country. Now that it is in bloom, you can see why. The colours are vibrant, orange, yellow and red, underplanted with bluebells as a wonderful contrast. On a sunny day, the scent of the azaleas is stunning, definitely the scent of spring. The rockery at the rear of the garden is in bloom, with the alpines showing their delicate flowers, backed by a row of camellias. The rhododendrons and magnolias are also at their best, the magnolias releasing their delicate fragrance to perfume the air. The rhododendrons come in a variety of colours, some plain, others with purple or red splashes of colour against a paler background. The range of colours is amazing; this is such a wonderful time to visit the gardens with so much in flower.
In the conservatory, the climbers on the north wall are flowering well and all the beds have colour in them. In some places, the plants are spilling over onto the walkways, it’s amazing how much they’ve grown over the last eighteen months since they were planted. It’s all thanks to the gardening team and volunteers, showing how well the soil was prepared and the plants have been cared for since.
Finally, a challenge for you. Can you identify these plants that are all in bloom somewhere in the Gardens at the moment? Common names will do. Anybody who replies or shares the competition on Facebook will be entered into a monthly prize draw to win a season ticket to the Gardens. The last competition was too easy, so we’ve made this one a bit harder. Please either send your answers to heritagetrust@wentworthcastle.org or via our facebook page. Closing date is 31 May. (Click on the photo to enlarge)