Today was another misty day at Powerscourt and there is a still a February chill to the air! It was great to have another dry day, in fact, it has hardly rained here at the estate for nearly 3 weeks! This afternoon I enjoyed a walk through the gardens with Head Gardener Michael Byrne as we made plans for creating a new tree trail through Powerscourt Gardens. The trail will soon launch - keep posted for further details shortly on our blog!
This week there is a real sense that spring is coming at last. While there is not much colour at this time of year, it's a fantastic time to visit and enjoy the perennials at Powerscourt and particularly our fine tree collection. The greenery of the trees and the many shrubs that adorn the gardens really stand out in winter time. The statuary is also much more noticeable and truly commands the landscape around it.
Unfortunately as we started our walk we came across a tree that had recently come down in the gardens, and caused some damage to other trees around it. We have hundreds of trees in the gardens and know that we will occasionally lose one. Still it's always sad to see! There are so many fine trees at Powerscourt which you can get to know better by visiting the gardens and walking our new trail when it's ready. Head Gardener Michael will be giving a guided walk of the trees in Powerscourt Gardens on the 3rd of March at 11am to celebrate National Tree Week. You can book tickets to the event here.
As we walked along the long walk in Powerscourt Gardens today, I caught the most amazing scent! Michael explained that it came from a tree he planted about 5 years ago - Daphne Bholua 'Jacqueline Postill'. It has a sweet perfume and its bright pink flowers are a welcome sight at this time of year.
The daffodils are slowly starting to emerge, with just a few up at the moment. In a few weeks time, we will have a fantastic show of colour. Here is a reminder from previous springs at Powerscourt!
There were some snowdrops up in the woodlands of Tower Valley; they are a particular favourite of mine! To me, the snowdrop heralds the start of spring and is a sign of everything good a new year brings with it.
There is lots to look forward to in the gardens over the coming months!
The Japanese Garden will spring to life in March and April with Magnolia flowers, Azaleas and Cherry and Apple Blossom trees. Spring and autumn are the best times to visit the Japanese Garden. The foliage and flowers change week on week and there is always something new to discover. Here are some of our beautiful cherry blossoms from years gone past:
The Camellias in the Walled Garden have to be of the most stunning sights in winter and spring! With such an abudance of petals, so intricately formed, this flower has a sense of decadence about it!
There will be lots more plants and flowers to discover over the coming weeks at Powerscourt! Keep posted on our blog for Head Gardener Michael's regular updates from the gardens.
Learn more about the trees in Powerscourt Gardens. We hope to welcome you here soon!
