..........is a Grade 1 listed garden sitting in the foothills of Snowdon/Eryri in Welsh. It has breathtaking views, reflective pools, Italianate terraces, woods, waterfalls, rushing streams, and a deep riverside dell.
The 60mile trip from the old coaching inn at Machynlleth to Bodnant took us through Snowdon's National Park. The entire journey afforded us a continuous landscape of delight.
Sitting in the northern part of Wales the garden offers fresh aspects to view and enjoy throughout all four seasons.
The month of May brings garden lovers to Bodnant wishing to see and stroll beneath it's stunning 55meter long brilliant yellow Laburnum arch, a garden feature that is internationally recognised. To see the arch click here. The rich autumn leaf colour on view during our visit this November was still being complimented by a mixture of summer flowers.
The pathway here is edged with Dichorisandra thyrsiflora - blue ginger - a tropical plant hailing from Brazil.
I was taken by surprise to see this Camellia bush completely covered in brand new buds and flowers. Does the plant think that spring has arrived already, and will it flower again in April? Everywhere Christmas adverts show tinsel, baubles, and tables laiden, but outside appears to think its Spring!The Hydrangeas and Rhododendron bushes also have new flowers and buds showing. Some Rhododendrons are autumn flowering but the above bush is a spring flowering species.
This delightful Georgian building is known at Bodnant as "The Pin Mill". However, it was built in 1730 in one of the Cotswold valleys below where we live. It was originally built as a garden house to a large property, but eventually it was used as a mill for the manufacture of pins - hence its name. Later it was used as a storehouse for a tannery, but 100 years later it became very dilapidated. A local venture to raise money to repair it failed, and it was bought by Henry, the 2nd Lord Aberconway, who greatly admired it. He had it removed stone by stone, restored, and rebuilt in his Bodnant garden.
"My garden is my most beautiful masterpiece"
Claude Monet
How utterly splendid this all is, Rosemary. It's a very pleasant way to start my dsy.
ReplyDeletePleased that you enjoyed Bodnant David.
DeleteWhat a gorgeous garden, and I just imagine strolling along those paths and enjoying it more.
ReplyDeleteThe garden is full of secret pathways all with different discoveries to behold.
DeleteDear Rosemary - A lovely mixture of colors at the Bodnant Garden. I clicked to see Laburnum Arch, which is awesome. I think the Camellia is probably Camellia sasanqua which bloom autumn to early winter. They are beautiful in my garden now. Then again, to see the spring flowering Rhododendron’s bloom, perhaps the bush is Camellia japonica which has misunderstood the season. Unusually warm weather makes plants confused and humans puzzled. .
ReplyDeleteYoko
Dear Yoko - I think that you could be right - the camellia does look very similar to sasanqua. Our autumn has been strangely warm with few hints of winters arrival.
DeleteDear Rosemary, How wonderful that the Pin Mill house was rebuilt, stone by stone. I could move right in. The design is so classic and so appealing. I love single blooms. I would scour every garden shop to have this Camellia so that could use a few blooms for the holiday table.
ReplyDeleteDear Gina - it is a dear little building which I love, and in many respects I wish that it still resided in our local valley. However, if Lord Aberconway had not saved it, then maybe it would have been lost forever.
DeleteJust stunning!
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DeleteWhat a beautiful place to visit and I can just imagine the glorious mountains as you drove there. Our camellias aren’t out yet although we do have a very early flowering one around the end of December. B x
ReplyDeleteIt did appear to be very strange to see a camellia bush full of buds and flowers in November.
DeleteWhat stunning scenes from Wales. The mountain views inspire me with awe, and the garden with delight. No camellias or hydrangeas blooming here, but still a few roses. What a labour of love to move the pin factory building!
ReplyDeleteI was given a rose planted in a large outdoor garden pot for my birthday in August, but all of the flowers were gobbled up straightaway by the local deer. We have now placed it on a garden table hoping that they will it alone, and I was surprised to see that it now covered in buds. I wonder if it will flower for me at Christmas!
DeleteSuch a beautiful place.
ReplyDeleteWe loved our visit William.
DeleteGoodness, another magical place to add to the list for visiting one day! You really get to see the most beautiful sights, dear Mary. I'm sure any time of year this garden would be beautiful but how fabulous are these autumn colourings? Your photo of the cloudy Welsh valley could be NZ :) As others have said, I think your Camellia is a sasanqua - they're the most popular variety around these parts and I generally think of Camellias as an autumn-flowerer as a result.
ReplyDeleteWe can't wait to return again,and very soon, Pip. The inn where we stayed served the most delicious and memorable food courtesy their gold medal chef. There is also much more for us to viisit and enjoy in that area too - (Rosemary)
DeleteIt's a lovely place. My group used to stay in a cottage/ camping spot near there to go walking, rock climbing and general sightseeing.
ReplyDeleteWhat I find so interesting and special about our British landscape is that each area has its own very unique ambience whether it be England, Scotland, Wales or Ireland.
DeleteWhat a delightful colourful area, thoroughly enjoyed seeing these photos Rosemary.
ReplyDeleteThanks Margaret - we were surprised at just how much colour there was still around.
DeleteFotos maravilhosas. Detalhes fotográficos lindíssimos. Deixo o meu elogio
ReplyDelete.
Feliz fim de semana … (14 anos)
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Pensamentos e Devaneios Poéticos
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Muito obrigado (14 anos)!
DeleteA beautiful garden, Rosemary! The picture of the laburnum arch I have seen in many books - it must be a dream to walk under it.
ReplyDeleteYou are right: the seasons play a bit crazy - on my balcony in Bavaria today the roses, which flowered a third time!, are covered with the first snow of the year.
I too have many new buds on my roses - I am wondering if that might survive and open for Christmas or whether colder weather might spread it wings over them.
DeleteThe red leaves are spectacular! I have never seen such colour occur naturally.
ReplyDeleteWhat is the tree in the first photo? and could I grow it here in Melbourne?
Dear Hels, the tree is one of many Acers that turn a very bright red during the atumn. I believe that it might be Acer mandshuricum (Manchurian maple). Whether or not they grow well in Melbourne I cannot say as it depends on your type of soil, moisture retention and whether the trees could stand your long dry hot summers.
DeleteYour local Botanical Garden should be able to advise you. You could also ask a local arborist or a plant centre dealing in specialised trees.
However, I did find the following comment online about gardening in Australia.
Although a few maples (acers) are found in subtropical regions, most generally prefer climates with distinct seasons. They perform best when grown in a sunny or partly shaded position with a humus-rich well-drained soil that remains moist through the growing season. Some species need dappled shade to preserve their foliage from summer scorching, but some can tolerate exposure to drying winds. The species are usually raised from seed, hybrids and cultivars by grafting.
What a spectacular garden you visited, and it does look a lot like Spring, and must be relatively warm for the time of year. The Pin Mill is a beautiful building, and how amazing that it was transported and rebuilt in that way. It must be beautiful to walk among those Autumn colours in the trees - we always love what we cannot grow ourselves :)
ReplyDeleteDear Patricia - we loved being in this area of Wales and can't wait to return - hopefully when spring arrives. Yes, I know that feeling about wanting to grow what we can't very well, and over the years have wasted plenty of time and plants trying to do the impossible.
DeleteMind blowing pictures
ReplyDeleteThank you for visiting and leaving such a generous comment.
DeleteGorgeous. I love the Pin Mill, it would make a great holiday home.
ReplyDeleteI don't know what they actually use it for. The downstairs area is open with seating so that visitors can rest awhile or eat their picnic lunches.
DeleteWhat a beautiful place! Your pictures are amazing Rosemary...
ReplyDeleteLove from a snowy island & Titti
Thanks Titti - hope that you enjoying your snowy island.
Deletebeautiful Bodnant. We have been a few times but never in Autumn, I can see it was worth it. xx
ReplyDeleteIf I lived nearer than I too go more often as it must now be about twenty years since I was last thereX
DeleteWhat a beautiful place.
ReplyDeleteIf ever you are travelling in north Wales then it is well worth a visit.
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