Where to find inspiration in the middle of winter

Guest Blog by Kris Green, Horticulturist for Blithewold Mansions, Garden and Arboretum

I’m often asked, “When is the best time to visit Blithewold?” I answer the same way every time: It’s beautiful here right now. Sure, most people might choose to defer their visit to April to see 50,000 daffodils in bloom; or plan to come in June because that’s when gardens in this hemisphere tend to peak sweetly; or visit sometime between August and October when our Display Gardens are riots of late season color, bird and insect activity.

But most gardeners – dyed-in-the-wool New England gardeners in particular – would not diss winter. Along with the myriad reasons we have for loving the hibernal season, we deeply appreciate the fact that any garden that is beautiful in winter is bound to be gorgeous all year. And we know that it’s worth a chilly visit to any public garden – those that remain open through the winter, that is – to glean ideas for our own gardens as well as to enjoy any plants and winter views that our own gardens might not have room for.

For instance, I refuse to recommend that anyone plant an aggressive bamboo but am the first to admit that there’s nothing better than a meditative mosey through our ever-emerald-green grove of 30’ tall yellow groove bamboo (Phyllostachys aureosulcata) to listen for its clack. Most gardens don’t have have enough room for a giant sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum) either, but Blithewold’s claim to fame – the tallest giant sequoia this side of the Rockies – stands still for all of us to hug and is especially epic when viewed through the bare twisted branches of what is purported to be the oldest tree on the property. The weeping pagoda (Sophora japonica ‘Pendula’) is as lovely as a grandmother. 

Along with winter poetry, there are acres-full of take-home ideas for gardens of any size. Even though we tend not to notice a garden’s skeleton come spring and summer, we can teach ourselves to recognize good bone structure by studying it now. And it’s really only during winter that we become truly enthusiastic about evergreens and tree bark.

Before choosing a tree for your garden, come see how our full-moon cut-leaf (Acer aconitifolium) and our Japanese stewartia (Stewartia pseudocamellia) can hold your interest beyond fall color, well into winter - thanks to their beautiful skin and lovely curves. And then if you choose one of them, consider planting a broad-leaf evergreen behind it for contrast. Incidentally, there’s no better winter temperature indicator than a rhododendron. When its leaves are curled, we know to put on 3 layers and a hat before taking a walk around the garden.

About Blithewold
Blithewold Mansion, Gardens & Arboretum is a 33-acre non-profit museum estate on the Narragansett shore in Bristol, RI. The mansion is open from November 26 to January 2 and from mid-April to mid-October. The gardens and grounds are open daily 10-5, year-round. Admission is free to members; $5 for non-members, gardens only, and $10 when the mansion is open. When is the best time to visit? It’s beautiful here right now.

Kris Green is a horticulturist at Blithewold and writes their garden blog.