Gardd Fotaneg Genedlaethol Cymru/National Botanic Garden of Wales
Everything about this place is wonderful. I had an opportunity to visit yesterday (7 February) and, in spite of less than toasty weather, found it fascinating.
It’s a large area but fully accessible to people in wheelchairs. But be prepared to do some walking because there is a lot to see and you’ll find yourself wandering for hours.
I have to say that one of the things that impressed me so much was how aesthetically pleasing they have made the grounds between the exhibits. For some reason I was expecting to find section upon section of nothing but different gardens. That’s not the way it’s done at all. It’s a place where you could simply sit in the sun, if you prefered, and have plenty of things to enjoy. There are metal sculptures (inside and out), rock sculptures, waterfalls, lakes and tons of daffodils! (They offer pots of the native Welsh variety of daffodil for sale too.) Picnic tables dot the place and you can take a walk that meanders through the woods, down a country lane and into a hayfield.
If it’s cold as it was yesterday, spend the day inside the incredible Glass House. This just blew me away - it’s literally breathtaking when you enter. Another very nice exhibit, I thought, was the medicinal plants. I spent a long time in there as there was so much to see and a ‘talking’ version of the Red Book of Hergest - a unique and interesting way to present the information.
All-in-all I think the garden is a wonderful place and well worth the extra funds that Assembly has put into it. Not only are they preserving rare native Welsh plants for generations to come, but they have created a lovely place to spend the day with family and friends.
National Botanic Garden of Wales Website
Arwen’s Photos