What's happening in February

The Lenten lily, Helleborus orientalis, is just beginning to flower with a mixture of maroon and creamy white petals. The large green and white snowdrops of Leucojum aestivum are now appearing.

What the gardeners are doing this month:

Fencing, path construction, paving, rejuvenating beds and borders, tree and shrub planting and pruning, and trellis building are all jobs that keep us busy during the late winter. We are also sowing seeds and tidying up flower and shrub beds.

Designer gardens

Come explore the 30 acre Thomas Mawson designed Arts and Crafts garden. With views over Windermere and towards the Langdale Pikes, this is a garden with a magnificent backdrop.

Depending on the season you can walk along the terraces to see dazzling displays of camellias, magnolias and rhododendrons filling the air with delicate fragrances.

Elsewhere there's the cherished Handkerchief Tree with its fluttering white flowers and the beautiful vivid crimson blooms of the Chilean Lantern Tree. Other features include:

• Herbaceous and mixed borders
• Old fashioned and shrub roses
• Wildflower meadow
• Kitchen garden with fruit, vegetables, herbs and cut flowers

We use environmentally friendly techniques including composting, recycling and the minimal use of pesticides, peat and water resources. The gardens are home to a wide variety of birds and wildlife and are open 365 days from dawn until 6pm.