As the winter closure comes to an end, we can start looking forward again to the return of light and life.

And the early flowers are doing just that: from snowdrops and snowflakes, to daffodils and hellebores …

… and especially the ‘choirboys’: Winter Aconites with cheery faces surrounded by a ruff of lobed bracts. The yellow ‘petals’ are actually petal-like sepals, while the petals are tubular nectaries: the nectar they contain, together with pollen on the stamens, is the reason why whenever the sun is out, the Woodland Garden is abuzz with insects.

Not just low down – there are also small shrubs and low trees flowering, including Sarcococca, Cornelian-cherry and Spurge-laurel, all extravagantly scented to attract such insects as are active at this time of year.

And yes, there were insects out and about on my visit last week, mostly hoverflies and blowflies. A good number of Marmalade Hoverflies and a few Seven-spot Ladybirds, both major predators of aphids, bode well for the waves of munchers our garden will rely on over the coming summer.

Of course they can appear so quickly and so early only if they are able to hibernate nearby, which is where our policy of not being too tidy, or too quick to clear away the dead growth from last summer, comes into its own. And given the fact that we may not yet have seen the back of winter, hibernation sites need to be left in place for at least another month.

That is not to say that the team has been idle over the winter! Regular visitors will see one big change – the wooden kiosk has now gone – and the oak tree, THAT wonderful oak tree, a boundary pollard from ancient times can now breathe and be appreciated properly from every angle.

The wait is now over. The gardens re-open on Tuesday 4th February, and thereafter Tuesday – Saturday 10.00 – 16.00, and half price entry during February. Come along and see Spring unfold and enjoy the wildlife it brings with it! Tickets can be booked here: Entrance – Beth Chatto’s Plants & Gardens

See here for details of all my planned activities in Beth Chatto Gardens over the coming months: Beth Chatto Gardens – activities and events | Chris Gibson Wildlife