March 2007

April is upon us and, with it, the first suggestion that spring is coming. It seems to have been so long since we last felt a warm sun on our backs. Although snow and hard frost were pretty much absent this winter it has been raw and wet for a long period. But with warmth comes growth and the delphiniums, for one, in the herb garden are visibly shooting by the day…..as are the weeds.

As the herbaceous beds become more established they become more rewarding to work with. Weeding needs to be done but the border plants are strong and can compete with small weeds. Docks, plantain, willow herb and thistle do make an effort to establish at this time of year but they are easy to control with regular weeding. It’s keeping on top of the situation that is the secret. Because of its sheltered position the herb garden is the first to really get away with several new plants to admire. Several varieties of allium and fritillary should catch the eye, early on. Within the next few weeks it will be full of colour, texture and scent and a hive of activity for breeding tits that are busy building their nests in the various boxes we have spread around.

Daffodils are a great show at this time of year. Like the snowdrops take time to have a close look at these much underrated bulbs. They come in all sorts of shapes and shades and some, even, have a surprisingly pleasant scent. Scilla, wood anemone, wood sorrel, celendine and primrose are all in flower throughout the woodland edges, subtle, gentle plants that find their own little niche in which to be admired. Our rock garden turned heather garden is now finished. Over 250 individual heathers have been planted in a mix of winter/spring/summer flowering clumps. They will expand and knit together over the next few years and provide a mass carpet of colour in what we hope will be a lovely addition to the Palace gardens, based on Scotland's best known native plant.

Spring is a lovely time to be in the gardens. Innes

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