Forde Abbey Gardens on the banks of river Axe near Chard has been celebrating spring with its Crocus Week.

Although the Abbey was built almost 900 years ago by the Cistercian monks the grounds around the former monastery were predominantly used for farming. It wasn’t until the mid-17th century that the landscaping of the gardens began.  By the early 19th century, the barebones of the garden were all in place.

The 30-acre Gardens of the Abbey have areas of interest for every season, but the South lawn in the front of the Abbey is the star of the show in spring. The verdant green grass which is still holding tight to the ground in spring forms the perfect backdrop for the crocuses that emerge by the thousands.

Looking back at the meticulous records kept of the garden the first crocus, both C. vernus and tommasinianus, were planted here at the Abbey almost a hundred years ago.

The soil of the garden is an acid loam over gravel and bulbs of all kinds thrive on it. The result today is breathtaking, their wide-open chalices come in shades of rich purples, striking violets and an odd white gracefully deepening to mauve as it ages.

Having had more than enough time to hybridize and naturalize there are endless permutations and combinations that one could possibly imagine today. Thousands of visitors come to the Abbey every spring to marvel at this spectacle especially on a warm spring morning when there are swarms of bees bussing over the clouds of purple blooms.

The crocus thrives in short turf, typically where the soil is poor and shallow or among tree roots. The lawns are managed as traditional meadows.

After the crocuses other wildflowers like yellow rattle and green winged orchids follow. They are all allowed to set seed and go dormant naturally after building reserves for next year.

The lawns are cut at the end of summer ensuring everything flowers with a better display the following year.

A host of wild daffodils, Narcissus pseudonarcissus, probably dating all the way back to the monastic period join the throng adding delicate shades of primrose yellow and despite having a strict ‘’no orange’’ crocus policy we have succumbed to the inevitable. Nature is a very powerful force, given enough time it weaves in structures and shades that seldom work, painting a picture that no human could emulate.