As the garden wakes from its season of slumber, we look forward to growth and renewal. The days stretch longer, buds burst into life, and the earth slowly warms above and below ground.
The Swamp at Hollard Gardens
In the ‘New Garden’, fresh grass thickens over newly laid topsoil, paths are re-contoured, and garden beds refined to improve flow. These changes create new vistas and help showcase the collection with depth and design in mind. Spring flowers are a highlight at Hollard Gardens, with the coming months offering a tapestry of colour carpeting the ground, climbing into the canopy, and weaving through the greenery.
Flowering trees and shrubs such as Camellia, Rhododendron, and Azalea dominate in spring, but along Hollard’s intimate paths you’ll also find beauty in the more delicate herbaceous perennials that blanket the understory. In the dappled shade, Bluebells (Hyacinthoides hispanica) form dense sweeps of mauve, indigo and lavender, dotted with white, a scene reminiscent of an ancient woodland. This display is at its best in the ‘New Garden’ from September through early October. The sweetly scented bells of Lily-of-the-Valley (Convallaria majalis), a woodland favourite with a touch of fairy-tale charm, have naturalised into large pink and white swathes throughout both the ‘Old’ and ‘New’ gardens. And as you enter, low-growing wood anemone (Anemonoides nemorosa) lines the main path and the ‘Old Garden’, its delicate white and lilac blooms emerging from rhizomes each spring.
For me, the jewel in the crown this season is the Swamp. After a long dormancy, it bursts into life with colour and texture: candelabra primulas rise in joyful pastels and candy tones from late September through October, set against glossy hosta leaves, delicate ferns, and an array of vibrant bog plants.
With the Garden Festival approaching, the Hollard team is mindful of the rapid pace of spring growth and the importance of careful maintenance. As we work hard to present the garden at its best, we also make sure to pause and enjoy the beauty of the season.