Seasons | Bodenham Arboretum

Spring

Enjoy impressive displays of spring flowering bulbs – from swathes of snowdrops to acres of daffodils and narcissi to the hundreds of primroses, bluebells and foxgloves which line many of the woodland walks and plantations.

Beautiful blossom adorns a variety of trees spread out all over the Arboretum, such as Magnolias, Cherries, Crab Apple and the Jargonelle Pear trees in the Conservation hedge that line part of the mile long drive.

Late spring behold the beautiful sight which is Bodenham’s ‘famous’ Laburnum tunnel – a glorious golden tunnel of vibrant yellow flowers, that is alive with the humming of bees.

This is also the lambing and calving season and the new-borns can be seen in the barns and fields on the farm. A little later come the new chicks hatching from the farmyard poultry.

Summer

The sound of Cuckoo, the diving of the swallows and the swifts…such events often herald the arrival of summer. Nature is both beautiful and fruitful…it bursts, peaks and allows animals and plants to reproduce.

The Arboretum is green and lush, the pools are alive with frogs and toads, young birds are in abundance and the blossom is a sight to behold providing pollen to the bees and other insects. It’s time for some of our rarer trees to shine too.

It is a beautiful time to visit – whether you want to lose yourself on a wonderful woodland walk around the pools or soak up the sunshine beside our beautiful wildflower areas, everything is green and lush. The Arboretum is perfect for taking a long tranquil walk in the warmth and sunshine, whilst also offering several ‘rest points’ for you to enjoy the breath-taking views. We will be busy with grass cutting – the longer grass is cut for hay which is left to dry out in the sun before baling.

Autumn

Autumn brings with it a riot of leaf colour ranging from deep butter yellow through to orange, reds and crimsons as well as an abundance of berries. It’s a natural fireworks spectacular throughout the autumn months.

Autumn leaf colour develops at the end of the annual growth cycle, prior to leaf fall. The colour is good when plentiful sunshine is followed by an early frost.
Hundreds of trees put on an autumn display that is perhaps the most spectacular in the area. The Acers will go from bright yellow to vibrant oranges and reds. Scarlet Oaks will, as their name suggests, fill the woods with sweeps of vibrant red, even Magnolia with its bright red seed pods add to the spectacle.

We are open every day in October so our visitors can take full advantage of this wonderful season.

We are busy packing and storing straw bales in the barns in preparation for winter.

Winter

The nights may be longer, and the days are shorter and it can be cold. But there is still plenty to see and do during the winter season at Bodenham. Falling temperatures and clear skies make for some frosty mornings and here at Bodenham you can experience the beauty of a wonderful winter walk. The ice and snow can transform the Arboretum into something quite magical.

Whilst our deciduous trees, including beech, ash, horse chestnut, and oak having lost their leaves the winter evergreens provide a welcome touch of colour in mid-winter.
The growing season is far from over however – whilst all the flowers and fruits are a distant memory – beautiful colourful berries are in abundance, these winter fruits providing a very important food source for the wildlife. Red holly and black ivy berries are attractive to a range of birds, of which we have some colourful visitors – from bramblings and fieldfares to the exotic-looking waxwing and of course, robins abound here at the Arboretum.

The animals grow their thick winter coats to keep them warm.

Behind the scenes all public areas are cleaned and any maintenance work is programmed during this low season. The pig goes to boar as it takes 3 months, 3 weeks & 3 days from conception to birth.

In January and February snowdrops and wild cyclamen carpet the woodland walks here and serve as a reminder that spring is around the corner.