Peeping out over the railings on a December day, the welcome sight of the winter-flowering cherry tree. The delicate pale blossom of Prunus x subhirtella is not as showy as some of later-flowering varieties but, as a promise of spring days to come, it’s uplifting in the midwinter gloom.

It also fits the Regency style of the garden (originally laid out in the 1790s) perfectly. The design of Regency shrubberies framing garden walks combined herbaceous plants, bulbs, evergreen and deciduous flowering shrubs and ornamental trees in a naturally grouped manner. By the early 19th century, gardening aimed to use the variety of trees, shrubs and flowers to provide a succession of interest all year round. A flowering tree in December certainly helps to do that.