We were fortunate to be able to visit Bridgewater after a night of snowfall this week. As we didn’t win the garden visit lottery by having a bright blue sky too, my pictures are a little sombre – some, even Gothic.
The cold weather had deterred most visitors: were it not for the snow, January isn’t the most exciting time to visit this garden. Don’t get me wrong – it is beautifully maintained and presented and I always enjoy visiting.
But while the RHS do a wonderful job at Bridgewater of all the things they traditionally do well – training and pruning trees and climbers, masterclasses in growing vegetables, winter protection, plant supports, plants trials, developing themed garden areas with celebrated designers – this is a young garden and some blind spots or compromises are evident.
Just one example: there are remarkably few plants in flower for a prestigious garden of this magnitude, so if you plan to visit in the next week or so, be prepared to seek them out and don’t expect much variety. I believe a large number of plants for winter interest will soon be added for future years.
Despite my feelings about missed opportunities, I do love the garden. It was wonderful to stand and watch a fine kestrel hovering nearby in the walled kitchen garden.
If you’re looking for refinement, repetition, rhythm, and a large helping of peace, you’ll find it at RHS Bridgewater in any season.
The drifts of perennials in the Paradise Garden had been cut back and repurposed in the Kitchen Garden as knee-high dead-hedges that would shelter small creatures from the cold.
The more tender plants had been protected too.
I have faith that, in time, this could be the go-to destination for gardeners in the North West of England. Until then, I’ll savour what we’ve got.
Advance booking is needed for RHS Garden Bridgewater entry, although you can normally book on the day of your visit. The garden has been closed today due to the slippery conditions, so it’s wise to check before setting out.
Susan Rushton 
Such a wintery snowy day . These flowers are in the snow. Anita
It’s always a treat to be able to catch a garden under a fresh covering of snow. Not always easy either as our transport systems crumble and gardens tend to shut.
In June, I’m leading an English garden tour for a group from Alabama in the US. We are visiting Bridgewater, so your comments are interesting. I’m sure it will look much different then, than now!
It will. Are you timing your trip to catch one of the flower shows too? Early, mid and late June make quite a difference here.
This is one reason why I don’t visit gardens in winter – they are dead, dull, and boring, and I certainly wouldn’t pay the price Bridgewater charge to look round a whole lot of nothing when I know how beautiful the place is in summer. At least you found a bit of colour in the daffodils 🙂
We had to be on the lookout! There was a little more in flower than I have shown – an early blossom tree in the walled garden that looked beautiful to the eye, but ‘meh’ to the iPhone, and a few witch hazels and viburnums. Certainly nothing that would rival the garden at its peak.
For the record, winter is probably my favorite season in the garden since it offers an opportunity to really do something with structural interest like shapes or bark patterns or cool seed heads. Bet they could use a camellia, azalea and/or rhododendron layer to bring folks out in the snow. Snow. I adore snow!! ⛄️🌨️❄️🤍😎
We enjoy visiting winter gardens too. Unfortunately they’ve had to take out rhododendrons to prevent the spread of disease, but they flower quite late here, generally in spring. A few more witch hazels would have been welcome and I’d have loved to have seen my winter favourite, Acer x conspicuum ‘Phoenix’. There may be one there somewhere, but if so, I missed it.
Yes! Witch hazels are amazing! That maple too. Didn’t know about rhodies there. Goodness. Now I have to educate myself on that. Thank you for sharing Susan! See you end of March hopefully.
I particularly loved your rustic sculpture and the hydrangea seed heads. And that hellebore, bravely lifting its face. Yes, it’s a little bleak, but the snow gives it a pleasing ‘warmth’, though I know that’s the wrong word.
Snow is supposed to keep the ground warm, like a blanket, isn’t it, but we weren’t feeling it. We were glad of a cup of coffee and a pasty to warm up! Hellebores often make me laugh in the snow as they can look so pitiful, but these ones are sturdy types and were mainly protected by being curled up in the bud.
I used to love mine in the UK. We had crimson ones and the paler varieties, peeping from under shrubs and amelanchier- my all time Spring favourite but probably spelled wrong 🤣🩷
That must have been lovely. Hellebores are very missable. I miss some I grew many years ago.
🙂💚
Winter gardens look so bleak. You have a knack of getting the best from an unusual situation Susan 🙂
Thanks, Brian. I try! Quite a contrast for you, of course.
Quite 🙂
Well, I think you won the lottery! There isn’t a single image here that doesn’t make me want to pull on my woollies and loll through this winter garden. There is great beauty here. And impressive alliteration! Thank you!
It was nice to be in the garden when it was so quiet. We’d arrived just as it opened (at midday because of the snow) and experienced that child-like awe of making footprints through so great an expanse of unstepped-upon snow.
The seed heads are very attractive and so are the woven branch dead-hedges.
You’ve certainly had a lot of snow and storms I’ve been reading about on YouTube. I’ll look forward to more winter images as they plant more for winter gazing and walks in this garden.
I had been expecting to see more seed heads still standing – the naturalistic Paradise Garden was full of them back in autumn. At some point they have to be tidied. It must be a big undertaking there too.
What a wonderful group of photos. I really enjoy off-season gardens. Maybe it is the promise of what is to come, and of course the hard structures that support the plants. I think there is a lot of beauty in the desolate landscape – maybe because I grew up in an environment with long winters that require finding beauty wherever it presents itself.
The walled gardens here are huge, the garden is flat, and a purism and deep restraint are evident in all the planting. Because I enjoy plant diversity and garden art, I miss the ‘obvious’ wins. It really would not take much if they were to leverage the strengths of their reputation and contacts, so it comes over as if the ethos of the garden is inflexible and restricting. We all know it’s possible to break free, and I feel sure that will come.
It was funny to see snowmen, snowchildren and snow angels appearing while we were there (with no signs of anyone making them) as if the garden itself was rebelling.
I’m not a fan of snow but I must admit it makes winter scenes prettier, especially on a dull day. I love the look of the Chinese streamside garden, the bright colour of the dogwood really leaps out in these conditions, and how lovely to see those narcissi popping up through the snow!
Snow is great while it is fresh and you can mainly look at how pretty it is. If you have to travel in it or grapple with it, or if it freezes, less so! There are plans to develop the Chinese part of the garden too.
Beautiful, beautiful! I love the austere look of gardens in winter. And no Maniner expect any kind of bloom in winter. 😉
Not being a Mainer is a handicap when dealing with getting your head around snowfall. We are mere novices, although when I was a child, I do remember snow drifts here.
Ditto what Laurie wrote about it being beautiful. I, too, like the look of gardens in winter. They are pared down to the essentials. 🙂
I’m glad you liked it. You do see a garden’s structure more clearly in winter.