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Updated: 08 July 2011
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England
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When is the best time to do an English garden tour?
England is well known for its variable weather. We are influenced by the westerly
winds from the Atlantic Ocean and our proximity to Continental Europe. The Gulf Stream
carries water warmed in the Bay of Mexico to our western shores and this gives a
warmer climate then we would expect at our northerly latitude. All this has consequences
for gardeners and visitors alike. Gardeners in England have a very gentle climate
and can grown a wide range of plants from around the globe -
The aim of this guide is to help you find out what’s happening in the English garden through the year. Month by month you can see which are the highlight plants and find out what the weather might be like from the viewpoint of a visitor taking an English garden tour. It is by no means a comprehensive guide because the number of species performing in the English garden at any one time is huge – this is just a guide.
January – this is the coldest month of the year and the time when we notice how short
our winter days can be. Sunrise is well after 8.00 in January. For gardeners, it’s
a time for watching and waiting -
February – this is the month of the hellebore, the most stunning of which is the
Lenten rose or Helleborus orientalis. This elegant plant produces buds at ground
level, which then extend on long stems yielding beautiful nodding flowers. Flower
colours can be white, cream, and shades of pink through to deep purples depending
on variety. The daffodils bloom in February and raise hopes for the coming spring.
The sweet scented shrubs such as Mahonia, Daphne odora aureomarginata and Sarcococca
create a delicate perfume that wafts through the garden on a sunny day. Camellias
are at their best in this month and thrive in those areas of England where the soil
is neutral to acid. Temperature: 36 -
March – is associated with strong winds that come in with the Atlantic weather. Early
cherries such as Prunus subhirtella autumnalis create clouds of pink against the
March skies. More spring flowers start to come such as lungwort (Pulmonaria), which
flower in white, pink and dark blue varieties in my garden. The narcissi in all their
variety start to bloom in March and suddenly there are flowers in the garden to gather
and fill vases in the house! The native primrose flowers in March and fills banks
and roadsides with gentle yellow, sweet-
April – More bulbs put on a show in April and many gardens are a beautiful picture
of spring renewal at this time of year. Yellow is a predominant colour with Erythronium,
Fritillariea imperialis, Kerria japonica and Doronicum the first perennial to flower.
Sweetly perfumed lily of the valley comes in April and a fine show of tulips can
be expected wherever you go. The flowering trees come into their own this month with
cherries and Amelanchier putting on a show. The very first rose of the season flowers
now – Rosa banksia Lutea is a tall climbing rose with clusters of tiny lemon-
May – this is the month of the rhododendron and azalea and there are specialist gardens
on acid soils where you can see a fine show of colour. Things start to happen in
the herbaceous border and flowers are seen on Aquilegia, Paeonia, Hemerocallis, alliums
and Papaver orientale – to name but a few! The lilac comes in May as does Wisteria
and the early Clematis. Rosa Canary Bird sports pretty single yellow roses on its
arching stems. All the garden and countryside trees will be in leaf by the end of
May and the variety of shades of green is a pleasure to behold. This is the month
to visit the Royal Horticultural Society Chelsea Flower show in the third week of
the month. The Malvern Spring Gardening Show takes place early in the month against
the backdrop of the Malvern Hills. Temperature: 46 -
June – in June the English garden is in full swing. This is the month for roses and
time to visit a garden specialising in roses such as Mottisfont Abbey. The flowering
shrubs Deutzia and Philadelphus make good foils for the roses. The herbaceous perennials
are at their most prolific in this month and you will see delphiniums, foxgloves,
geraniums and irises and much more. The penstemons start to flower now and continue
into the autumn. More clematis bloom and are joined by Solanum crispum and the richly
scented honeysuckles. The days are at their longest in this month and in southern
England it is still daylight at 10.00pm. In June the BBC Gardeners World Live show
takes place in Birmingham. Temperature:52 -
July – in July the days get warmer and some quite hot days (over 75 Fahrenheit) are to be expected. Delphiniums continue to put on a show thought the roses will be fading. Other plants coming to their best include, the annual Cosmos, the dahlias which will continue well into the autumn, Echinacae, Phlox and Agapanthus. The beautiful golden oat grass flowers and sets seed along with many of the ornamental grass species. Hardy Fuchsias start to flower and the tubs and containers that have been planted with tender annuals will be looking superb. On 15 July falls St Swithens Day – whatever weather falls on this day will be repeated on the subsequent 40 days. This is the month to visit the Royal Horticultural Society Hampton Court Palace Flower Show in West London or RHS Tatton Park Show in the North of England. Temperature: 54 – 68 Fahrenheit. Rainfall : 3.5 in.
August – August is the hottest month in the English gardening calendar and it marks
the end of the summer and the beginning of the autumn season. Hardy annuals such
as Cosmos and Nicotiana will still be flowering freely and will be joined by some
of the more autumnal characters such as Sedum, Helenium and Hydrangea. Dahlias start
to flower and make good cutting flower until the first frost. Temperature: 55 -
September – the days start to cool in September and the month is often characterised
by calm sunny days with a quality of light that makes the autumn garden pleasing.
The repeat flowering roses will have a second flush of flowers in these cooler days
and the hues of many different asters start to make an impression. The stronger oranges
of autumn start to appear from Rudbeckias and Knifophias. Some Hebes flower again
and provide valuable food for butterflies. Many half-
October – there are some real specialist plants that put on an amazing show even
as late as October, when day-
November – if the weather has been mild then many of the stars of October will still
be producing colour in the garden. November is though, the nadir of the gardening
season when the days are shortening quickly and there is not much happening in the
garden. Its time to tidy up, leaving some dead stems and seed-
December – December is another quiet month in the English garden. The days are short
and the weather cool and wet. It’s a time to think about Christmas and being indoors.
The careful gardener will have planted her garden with plants that will help decorate
the house and it’s a joy to eschew all the commercial trimmings of the season in
favour of leaves from the garden. Temperature: 37 -