February in the Lodge Gardens
The magic really starts in February! All over the Lodge millions of bulbs are popping up, with yellow aconites, banks of snow drops and early daffodils. East Lothian Council Amenity Team have planted swathes of them over the years, and Rotary charities have planted purple crocus beds near the St Baldreds Road entrance and across the town as part of the 'International End Polio Now' campaign.
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As you pass through the archway from the Sea Bird Centre carpark on the left is the rockery where several kinds of dwarf irises are in flower (blue, yellow and purple) have been planted. Higher up the steps tall greenish-yellow hellebores - Helleborus corsicus/ argutifolius and H. eric-smithii can be found. At the top of the steps on the right past the stumpery one can find the smaller hellebores, hybrids from Helleborus orientalis, in a variety of colours from pink and white to dark purple and even black. Many snowdrops in the stumpery have green rather than grey-green leaves. These are a different species Galanthus woronowii from the Caucasus mountains.
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Along the path one passes a bank of aconites and snowdrops. Further up the hill in the vicinity of the play park on arrives at a large winter border with shrubs of Cornus mas or Cornelian cherry with small yellow flowers which turn into red fruits like cherries. Its nectar and pollen are great for insects and the birds will eat the cherries. The snowdrops on one side of the path leading to law Road are the double form.