‘Totally out of control” would be a perfectly reasonable description of The Dower House garden in Melbourne this coming May when, on 17th and 18th May, the garden is next open for the National Garden Scheme. ‘No mow May’ will be in its stride in parts of the garden; the leafy growth of spring bulbs now over, will be peeking over the now long grass in the orchard, cow parsley will be throwing wide their fern-like leaves and frothy white flowers in the woodland. A few months ago, we thought we had control of the garden, but nature so quickly puts any complacency we might have had back in its box. But it doesn’t matter – the garden is so bursting with energy in this season that it cannot help but transfer some of that excitement to us all.
We have never opened in May, so I do not know what to expect, but I hope very much that the small-sized Rhododendrons (grown on a special rootstock so they thrive in non-acid soil) will be blazing with colour. The yellow Smrynium – a rampant weed if left untended – will be enthusiastically growing amongst them, and of course, it is the moment when so many flowering shrubs look their freshest. I hope that the handkerchief tree Davidia involucrata (over by the time we usually open in June) may be displaying its beautiful white bracts, and the rose which covers the front of the house may be flowering profusely before most other roses are fully emerged. Hopefully, too, the hostas will not yet have been eaten by slugs.
Come and see, and pray that the clouds have not heard about the opening date and are not, as they usually are, preparing to gather as we open the gates at 10 am on 17th May and 18th May.
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