Gardens and Pretty Places we have visited

Powis Castle yesterday

 

That's one for me too. Doubly so, since I like gardens and castles!!
Thank you @Bluejayway

 

You're welcome @RowlandsCastle! Just wish the trip (coach) had been a month later. Just for more colour. I imagine it'll be quite spectacular later in the year.
The castle itself is glorious, only complaint would be the low light level inside. Understandable of course!

 

I've never been to Powis, wonderful views.

 

I love those enormous knobbly yew hedges at Powis. We went there years ago with our NDH group from college.

My trip on Wednesday was in Ireland, so not something everyone on here can copy, sadly. It was to Coole Park, in County Galway; it's a thousand-acre nature reserve in the karst limestone area of western Ireland, with lots of birds, red squirrels, pine martens and deer. It's considered internationally important because of its wetland habitat, with underground rivers, swallow holes, seasonal lakes and springs. The seasonal lakes (turloughs) are fascinating; they are surrounded by different bands of vegetation depending on how deeply the areas get flooded each winter. Last winter's flooding was quite extensive; the water is quickly disappearing from the lake, and by midsummer there is just a river.

This is the footpath to the lake (and a granddaughter!) in November 2022:



On Wednesday the turlough looked like this:



In the trees to my right was evidence of how high the water level had been:



There's also a walled garden, once attached to a big house. It contains some amazing trees, planted in the 18th & 19th centuries, and includes a huge copper beech called the Autograph Tree because many of the Irish literary revival, including Yeats and George Bernard Shaw, carved their initials in its bark. This isn't it...



...but you can see it in the background.

There's also quite a good tearoom...

 

That was a very interesting, well guided tour @Liriodendron, thank you! Your second photo looks like a potential entry for this month’s competition!

 

Yesterday RHS Bridgewater was open till 9pm for a special event, so i went to take advantage of the golden hour, when the sun is low in the sky. There was some thin cloud at times but the light was still good. The Camassias, Bistort and Candelabra Primulas were at their peak. There was a coot nesting on a waterlily pad, and one of her chicks was peeking out

 

As part of the NGS we visited some gardens in the small village of Wick, near Langport, Somerset this afternoon. One of the gardens is also a venue for a variety of artists which is open for Somerset Arts Weeks. The garden has some wonderful sections with wildflowers, huge range of annuals and perennials in a hedged off area, gravel beds, large area of wild grasses where they have planted a large amount of trees, mostly birches which look amazing. Many visitors today not so yesterday as thunder and lightening put an end to most visitors. A very beautiful and peaceful garden even with so many people. Here they also do fantastic cakes!

 

We visited Athelhampton Gardens near Dorchester yesterday. Weather was good and able to sit down at various places to take in the plants. Over the decades much has gone into decline and they are trying to restore a lot. The enormous walled kitchen garden is one such area. The glass house is immense and on our visit they were trying to put up shading....a huge task. Apart from some vines and a kiwi the area is lacking in plant life. They had many crops ready to be planted out but still in pots. The inside walls are crying out for different fruits but as they are trying to get in back to what it should be it all takes time. They have had problems with the acid nature of the water from the River Piddle breaking down the mortar on some of their fountains and so need repairs and the run off from fertilisers nearby increasing the algae growth in the ponds. Then they found honey fungus in the lime walk and have had to remove many many trees. The pyramid conifers are spectacular. Need a huge ladder to keep them in trim!
It was a good visit but at the cost of £14.50 per person we were glad that we had the 2 for 1 card.

 

Thank you for telling us about it. Sounds a bit pricey but they must need the money for the restoration.

 

Last Wednesday I went to the National Botanic Gardens in Dublin. I'd recommend a visit to anyone who's in Dublin with a spare afternoon. Apart from its horticultural attractions, it has a good cafe - and admission is FREE.

The weather was mixed, odd snatches of sun with quite a bit of rain, so this year I spent some time in the glasshouses, which are extensive and varied.



This is the palm house, which is surrounded with "family beds", each planted with examples of plants from different botanical families. Surprisingly interesting!

The palm house is well kept. And a good place to warm up on a cold day...

 

Ooh, sorry! Don't know how those posted twice...

Lots of interesting trees in the Arboretum and elsewhere, including this cork oak (Quercus suber).



Not sure if I dare trying to upload another...

 

That's a rather obscene Eucalyptus. (Sorry!)

There are some lovely flowers. These two are cheating because I took their photos this time last year when I paid the Gardens my first visit.



That's Echium waldpretii, not in flower this year.

 

I love this "wild" area, including pale aquilegias and Gladiolus byzantinus mingling with the native plants.



There's lots to explore. Do go if you get the chance!

 

Went on a coach trip to Bodnant Gardens yesterday, had camera trouble so here are some photos from this time last year ...