Spring is a wonderful time to explore the estate as the ground awakens and new growth begins to take hold.

This is the time of year to help this new growth develop, by tidying, edging and planning the flower beds for the year to come. We cut back and trim our seed heads which have been left on for aesthetic reasons during the winter months.

For example, the Agapanthus of African Lily common on our estate has a beautiful bright seed head, which can now be trimmed too. To encourage repeat blooming it is also best practice to deadhead certain flowers like pansies.

We are now also beginning to see our stunning winter bedding which was planted in late October come up, the grounds are embraced by a melody of colourful pansies, radiant daffodils, marvellous tulips and vivid forget-me-nots. As not much planting needs to be done, there is spare time to focus on the lawns, maintaining the wonderful edges and dealing with any unwanted dead weeds. It also includes spraying sulfate of iron, and dealing with moss by scarifying.

In the absence of garden scarifiers, you can remove moss with a garden rake, which will aid in your lawn absorbing nutrients and ensuring a lush green lawn for the upcoming months.

Our plans for the coming months include lifting and dividing herbaceous perennials in March, and pruning shrubs like roses in April so they will be healthier, more attractive, and produce more flowers. May will see the focus shift to planting our summer bedding, we leave this as late as possible as in the west of Ireland the threat of frost can be an issue.

Lastly, if you are looking for a delightful late winter or spring flower, we would recommend the bell-shaped Helleborus sometimes called the winter rose, a wonderful complement to any early bloom. 

Odran O’Neill,

Head Gardener.