At Barnsdale Gardens all of the 38 individually designed gardens come into their own no matter what the season. But the magic of December cannot be ignored when it comes to the magnificence of Barnsdale, in fact this is one of the busiest months for the team when visitors come to enjoy the lead-up to Christmas.
Stunning Gardens in December
Below are just some of the examples of which gardens are at their best in the winter.
The Winter Border was originally an area designed by Geoff Hamilton and planted with the help of Adrian Bloom, being redesigned in 2016. It looks wonderful in the lead-up to Christmas and after, with blooming interest from many unusual varieties of snowdrops, as well as drifts of the common Galanthus nivalis, winter aconite, Narcissus, Mahonia, Fatsia, various grasses, stems of many shrubs including willow and Rubus and Cornus sanguinea 'Midwinter Fire'. The flowers of Sarcococca, the winter box, are less obvious but what you cannot fail to enjoy is the heady scent they give off, which saturates the air.
The Country Paradise Garden is an example from Geoff Hamilton's Paradise Gardens television series. It looks fabulous, even at colder times of the year with unusual varieties of snowdrops complemented by the foliage of Epimedium, the stems of Cornus sanguinea ‘Annys Winter Orange’ and the heavily scented flowers of Daphne odora ‘Rebecca’. Adding to the flower palette are Hellebores, Leucojum and dwarf Narcissi, which interweave through the structure given by the hornbeam arbour and nut walk, as well as the frosted heads of Achillea filipendula ‘Cloth of Gold’.
The Memorial Garden is a tribute to the creator of Barnsdale, Geoff Hamilton, with the bronze bust an incredible likeness of the man himself and modelled by his youngest son Chris. The bust is set on a plinth constructed from reclaimed stone and, during winter, is surrounded by masses of both single and double snowdrops, which are then followed by a bi-coloured daffodil called Narcissus ‘Barrett Browning. The locally crafted bench opposite is the perfect place to sit and make the most of this area.
The Rose Garden was once an overgrown plot, but now showcases more than fifty varieties of roses.  However, as is the case with all the gardens, there needs to be enough interest at all times of the year, so in this garden, there is foliar interest from the evergreen black grass, Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Nigrescens’, as well as the bright red leaves of Photinia, various coloured leaved Heuchera and Bergenia and flower interest from daffodils, muscari and snowdrops. There are also the frosted old flower heads of various perennials and foliage, as well as movement interest given by the grasses Anemanthele and Stipa tenuissima. Â
December Events
Visitors can enjoy a 'Breakfast With Santa' on the 9th and 10th of December, from 10 am.  After a delicious breakfast followed by a cupcake and gingerbread decorating,  Santa will be coming around to all the children for a chat.  After the bellies have been filled and decorating finished, the children can visit Santa in his grotto and receive a present for being good this year.
To book ring 01572 813 200
The ever-popular Christmas Wreath Making Workshop will be taking place on the 2nd and 3rd of December.  All the materials and equipment are supplied for those who attend to make amazing wreaths from freshly gathered foliage, seed heads and other floral treasures from the Gardens at Barnsdale.  A lovely lunch from the seasonal menu is included, with a glass of mulled wine and festive mince pies.
Book on the Barnsdale Gardens website