We ventured out despite the grey, bleak weather. After all, if it had been sunny we would have been gardening and Antonia had never visited Rode Hall at Scholars Green in Cheshire. What a treat! Carpets of snowdrops, cyclamen and hot soup in the tea rooms. An annual pilgrimage for me.
The approach to the garden is made special by the heady scent of Daphne bhuloa, a star shrub at Rode Hall. A sign asks visitors not to take cuttings (as they won’t survive anyway) and a few plants are available for sale in their shop. It must be maddening for the gardeners to discover the uninvited pruning of their shrubs which tends to happen this month. When not in flower, they are quite unremarkable shrubs. It’s their scent that makes then irresistible it seems.
The Old Wood path takes visitors on a route past carpets of Cyclamen coum (see plant of the month), snowdrops and atmospheric willow sculptures of deer, pheasants and a fox. We walked on towards the lake, which was frozen in places, then turned back and strolled past the house where pots of Sarcococca ruscifolia (Winter box) perfumed the air.
Galanthus ‘S. Arnott’
Opening a gate, we took the path down the Colonel’s Walk. Here the snowdrops are planted in groups and labelled to make identification easier. I’m no Galanthophile and can only recognise a few individuals – Galanthus ‘S. Arnott’ being one of my favourites. It’s tall with chunky petals, very white, handsomely proportioned and scented, at least when it’s warmed by the sun. I also enjoyed discovering Galanthus ‘Magnet’, elegantly proportioned and waving in the breeze. Its distinctive feature is the long pedicel (the spur connecting flower to stem) which allows the flower to dangle and sway gracefully. Both these snowdrops are good, strong growers that increase readily.
Galanthus ‘Magnet’
We entered the kitchen garden and headed straight into the greenhouse to warm up. The benches were full of onions, ornamental gourds, tender succulents and forced bulbs in pots, all beautifully displayed. Planted in the border was a delicate looking camellia, quite prostrate in habit with small, scented white flowers – Camellia lutchuensis. A dainty gem! The whole greenhouse felt like an oasis and we had to force ourselves to exit into the cold again.
I have promised myself another visit to Rode Hall in the summer when the kitchen garden is in full swing. Meanwhile, passing under metal archways decorated with a single kokedama (moss ball) of snowdrops, we headed to the tea room where home grown produce from the garden is used. Opening the door we found out where the other visitors were hiding. As near to the fire as possible!
One last place to visit before we headed home was All Saints Parish Church, which is opposite the exit from the estate. The church is open during the ‘snowdrop walks’ and celebrates this wonderful flower with beautiful arrangements, a warm welcome and great cakes. If you never realised that snowdrops are scented, you will after you’ve entered this church. Heavenly!
By placing a mirror on the ground, visitors can appreciate the inner beauty of a double snowdrop flower. At Rode Hall they also use this simple device for viewing hellebores. No need to lift up the flower head causing possible damage and it saves bending down.
