Favourites from the Royal Pavilion Gardens — Ulex europeus, Gorse

Ulex europeus, Gorse

Give yourself 5 minutes of pure pleasure and swing through the Royal Pavilion Gardens. The spring / early summer garden is looking marvellous this year, about a month ahead of itself due to recent hot, sunny weather.

The tapestry of the many shades of green, the seemingly ‘accidental’ contrasts of structure, form and leaf shape, highlighted by patches of luminous yellows – much as we see in our Downland countryside – are both tranquil and pleasing. Plants are arranged in a supposedly ‘haphazard’ fashion in order to appear more natural, and importantly, more attractive to the many garden birds and are punctuated by clumps of gorse (Ulex europaeus) spilling over like pools of sunlight.

Pause downwind for a moment, especially if the sun is shining, to catch a whiff of the rich, coconut perfume and listen to the humming of the bees.

Ulex europeus, Gorse

Gorse, also known as Furze, is native to much of Western Europe. It is a thorny evergreen which flowers throughout the winter but most strongly in the spring when a carpet of yellow blossom covers each bush. There are two forms, the common single flowered gorse and the double flowered form – Ulex europaus ‘Flore Plena’. Both can be seen in many locations throughout the Royal Pavilion Gardens.

The photographs are of the double flowers. Gorse brings to the Gardens that touch of natural influence so admired by gardeners in Regency times.

Finally, a tip for gardeners: when pruning your gorse into shape, save the clippings to strew around your choice new plants. The spiny prickles are a strong deterrent for slugs and snails with their supersoft bodies.

Veronica, Volunteer Gardener, Royal Pavilion Gardens

Brighton News Story — 16 April, 1792: A sunny day in April

Last week the goodness of the weather and number of illustrious visitants, made Brighton almost as gay and pleasant as it generally is in the middle of June.  His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, Mrs Fitzherbert and many of the Nobility graced the Steine.

From The Sussex Weekly Advertiser, 16 April, 1792

Favourites from the Royal Pavilion Gardens — Cornus mas, Cornelian Cherry

Cornus mas, Cornelian Cherry

In the bed along the south side of the Royal Pavilion Gardens where all seems gloomy and grey, look up and you will see a glorious yellow haze above your head. Get closer and pull a branch down and you will see the exquisite tiny flowers of Cornus mas, the Cornelian Cherry.

Bright yellow, very welcome and cheering in these early days of spring, the flowers, though teensy, are easy to see because they are not hidden by the leaves which are still dormant. The flowers will eventually mature into red fruits – hence the English name. These do tend to hide in the foliage, and are not very conspicuous,

Cornus mas, Cornelian Cherry

but can be quickly eaten by birds and squirrels. I have read that they are much prized in parts of Russia, and have found a preserve made of the cherries on the internet; maybe that’s a job for the gardeners! Cornus mas is native to parts of central and southern Europe as well as western Asia, and has been grown for several centuries in this country.

Cornus mas, Cornelian Cherry

The name Cornus shows that it is a member of the Dogwood family, and the mas means male, referring, apparently, to its robust nature. But at this time of year it is its airy lightness that we relish, those hundreds of tiny yellow inflorescences that together make the tree glorious, and help us realise that spring is truly on its way.

Rose, Volunteer Gardener, Royal Pavilion Gardens