The Winter Garden at Anglesey Abbey

The Winter Garden is long and narrow so the meandering path allows new surprises on every bend. Its position takes full advantage of the low winter sun, which picks out the details of the unusual plants along the way.

Winter colour

Glorious colours are displayed by plants such as Scarlet Willow and Red-barked Dogwood, which dazzle with orange and red respectively. Silver-fern bramble shines pure white and it won't be long before Hellebore flowers add a little colour into the mix.

Full of scent

It's not only through the eyes that pleasure is found. The air is full of the scent of Sarcococca (Christmas Box), Mahonia, Chimonanthus and the very sweet perfume of winter-flowering honeysuckle.

You could say it’s a walk for all the senses that’s equally rewarding on a bright day, as it is on a day where the sky is gloomy and grey.

Constantly changing

Ground cover is used extensively throughout the winter garden to add to the display including Bergenia and Periwinkle. Bulbs and flowers include Crocuses, Tulips and Hellebores as well as Anglesey's famous Snowdrops.

Snowdrops are the first heralds of spring and as such are welcomed by all. In fact snowdrop enthusiasts – galanthophiles – come from the world over to see one of the largest collections in the country here at Anglesey Abbey.

The grand finale and focal point of this garden

There are many trees with special winter interest to be seen as you walk through the garden. A particularly fine example is the Killarney Strawberry Tree that displays its strawberry-like fruit in the weeks before Christmas whilst the polished bark of the Prunus Serrula (Tibetan Cherry) cries out to be touched.

However, the grand finale of the winter garden is the grove of Himalayan Silver Birch with their pure white trunks dramatically rising from a deep red underplanting of Bergenia 'Bressingham Ruby' and its mass display of Tulip around Easter.