Saturday 18 February 2012

Anglesey Abbey - Snowdrop Walk


Anglesey Abbey is a National Trust property a few miles from Cambridge. In February it boasts a fine display of snowdrops which attracts visitors from far and wide, to judge by the accents I heard on my visit yesterday. There's lots of other colour and interest in the winter garden too. 








There is a large number of varieties of snowdrop which can cross pollinate and give rise to new types. This insignificant looking little chap is Galanthus nivalis 'Anglesey Abbey', a variant first discovered in the gardens by head gardener, Noel Ayres, in  the 1970s.

Anglesey Abbey is worth a visit at any time throughout the year. To see photos of the gardens during the spring visit my earlier post.

There is also a working water mill on the site which I'll show you pictures of in the next few days. One day I'll get around to going inside the house itself!



Take care.


















14 comments:

  1. A delightful garden to walk around judging by your super images John. I would imagine they have a good Bluebell display in the Spring?

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  2. Nice tour, John. I was snapping snowdrops earlier today, as well.

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  3. I have never known the snowdrops last as well as they have done this year John. Those look brilliant. Also a nice photo of the Garrya Elliptica - one of my favourite shrubs.

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  4. ..loving the snowdrops and their nodding heads; delightful. How pretty to see them in large pockets like this. It was nice to get the underneath peep too. Rather like the hellebores, there’s more than meets the eye. Interesting ‘catkin’ like flowerheads. I look forward to your visit inside the house; would you be permitted to taking photographs in there? It looks so well preserved on the outside.

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  5. I've never seen 'Snow Drops,' but they are so delicately beautiful... are they bulbs and are they the first to flower in late winter or early spring?

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  6. This looks like magical garden indeed.

    I see you are far ahead of us. I saw my first Snowdrops of 2012 yesterday at a place I know they are early. But today they be be covered with snow again. But I suppose that is why they got their name.

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  7. Hello John, I love your snowdrop photos, especially the last one. It's so hard to capture their delicacy and yet you have done so! Jane xx

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  8. Great photos as always, but the last one is really special. Happy spring!

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  9. What beautiful series of nature shots! Also love the house, it looks like a small version of 'Downton Abbey' (the tv series). :-)

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  10. Enjoyed the tour--the old tree with snowdrops at its feet is just perfect.

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  11. I've heard about Angelesey Abbey many times and it sounds like a great place to visit. I love the photo of the tree surrounded by snowdrops and the photo above that - the dangly plant - do you know what that is? I saw it growing up the wall at Rode Hall and had never seen it before.

    in response to your comment, I agree it's great when you find a patch of wild snowdrops (I've been hoping to photograph some of the wild ones locally but the weather has been poor and I haven't been out all week) but I do like to visit snowdrop gardens too!

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  12. Thanks for all your comments. To answer one of two queries:
    It's not famed for its bluebells though I'm certain there are some around. Snowdrops are indeed little bulbs and are the first flower to be seen each year. There was even one brave little snowdrop flowering in my mother's garden in the first week of 2012! Sorry but I don't know the name of "the dangly plant" if anyone does can they enlighten both Louise and me?

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  13. I'm looking forward to seeing snowdrops blossom here! It's somewhat comforting to see that spring is arriving in Great Britain, at least!

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  14. It looks a lovely place and I defibnitely like the look of the house. There's a little ladybird tucked in among the snowdrops in one of the photos. I've been finding quite a few as I've been sorting the garden out and have tucked them back into a snug place again. The plant is Garrya elliptica I think.

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Thanks for taking the time to comment. I'll try to answer any questions via a comment or e-mail within the next day or two (no hard questions, please!).