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Home , Herbaceous border, Living sculpture, Walled garden, Water garden

WALES DESCRIPTIONS

BRYNBELLA surround what has become known as one of the best examples of a Georgian Villa in Wales. Originally constructed in the late 1700’s, the gardens were overgrown when purchased in 1994 by Mr. and Mrs. Peter Neumak, who rather than restore the gardens exactly as they had been, chose to create a modern garden while retaining many of its 18th century features. The garden is laid out as a series of rooms with constant visual surprises. There are both formal and informal gardens, a , three separate water gardens and a , winner of the British Association of Landscaping Industries Award. Delightful statues and modern sculptures serve as focal points throughout many of the garden rooms and the overall layout offers stunning views across the Vale of Clwyd.

BODRHYDDAN HOUSE AND GARDENS is a 17th century estate that has been the home of Lord Langford and his family for over 500 years and is one of the few remaining stately homes in Wales that is still family-owned. The 6 acre garden has one of the most striking in the country dating from 1875. Elsewhere there is a brick-walled and ice house, vibrantly planted island beds, serpentine dotted with and shrubs, several spanned by Giverny-style bridges, a rockery, and at the furthest point of the vista, placed upon a rising shrub covered mound is a millennium summerhouse backed by a shady woodland. BODYSGALLON HALL AND GARDENS are situated high on a peninsular with a series of terraces which have been carved out of the hillside. The Hall was originally built in 1250 as a watchtower for nearby Conwy Castle and was extended in 1620 and again in 1900. The house and grounds were in a desperate state until they were turned into a commercial enterprise in 1980 and although currently functioning as a high-class hotel, the building, its gardens and 200 acres of parkland and woods have been gifted to the National Trust to secure their long term future. The gardens have been recognized for their award winning restoration and famous for a striking 17th century walled garden with a circular, radially arranged colorfully planted with fragrant herbs. Other features include a walled Edwardian , lily ponds, several , a rockery with cascade and a number of well-established specimen trees and shrubs.

PLAS CADNANT HIDDEN GARDENS on the Isle of Anglesey are situated at the side of the Menai Strait hidden from view near the Menai Bridge and have been described as a Welsh ‘Lost Gardens of Heligan’. Originally laid out in 1804 in the picturesque style by Humphrey Repton, the gardens had become derelict for over 70 years. Since 1997 these historic gardens have been undergoing discovery and restoration. Three different gardens have been discovered, including a walled garden with curving walls, a secret valley garden with three and a , and an upper woodland garden with stone outcrops and the remains of a 19th century .

PLAS NEWYDD HOUSE AND GARDENS are set on the shores of the Menai Strait with stunning views towards the mountains of Snowdonia. The climate here allows many tender exotic and Mediterranean to flourish and a five acre Rhododendron walk containing one of the finest collections in Wales is accessed along a woodland and marine walk. It also has an Italianate Terrace, a Garden, Courtyard Garden and an Australasian . The elegant country house is famous for containing the largest painting and exhibition of the works of Rex Whistler and a military museum containing relics from the 1st Marquess of Anglesey’s tenure, who commanded the cavalry at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.

BODNANT GARDEN is one of the finest and best loved gardens in the world. Created in the 1870’s the garden is comprised of two main sections: the Upper Garden surrounding Bodnant Hall and the lower garden known as the Dell. The Upper Garden is formal with a strong Arts and Crafts feel. It has terraces, , sweeping lawns, a rose garden and herbaceous plantings. Its two most popular features are the long Laburnum Tunnel with flowers hanging like a shower of gold when in bloom; and the Canal Terrace with its lily and picturesque pin mill. The Dell is wild and shady, an informal woodland garden home to five National Collections; Magnolia, Embothrium, Eucryphia, Rhododendron forrestii and Bodnant Rhododendron Hybrids.

CRUG FARM PLANTS is a unique nursery-garden combination located on the edge of Snowdonia. Run by Bleddyn and Sue Wynn Jones, owners, horticulturists and explorers who for the past 20 years, travel abroad for 3 months at a time on plant hunting exhibitions to areas such as Vietnam, China, Columbia, South Korea, India, Nepal and Taiwan. They are award winning Chelsea Show exhibitors and have received numerous RHS Gold Medals. Their nursery specializes in unusual herbaceous perennials, climbers and shrubs propagated from seeds and plants collected on their expeditions. In their walled garden, trails wind through a jungle of many coveted plants, some of which have been made available in the United States through Dan Hinkley of Heronswood Nursery, a fellow collector who has accompanied them on some of their expeditions.

SNOWDONIA NATIONAL PARK was established in 1951 as the third national park in Britain, following the Peak District and the Lake District. Its name is derived from Snowdon, which is the highest mountain in Wales and England at 3560 feet. The park covers 827 square miles, has 37 miles of coastline and is made up of both public and private lands. It is governed by the Snowdonia National Park Authority which is made up of local government and Welsh representatives.

PLAS BRONDANW GARDENS were given to the famous architect Sir Clough Williams-Ellis by his father in 1908 after they had long been abandoned by the family. Sir Clough was 20 years old at the time and continued working on this garden for the next 70 years. Inspired by the Renaissance gardens of Italy, Sir Clough’s design of the garden is strongly architectural, relying on stone walls, and avenues which lead the eye to the majestic mountains of Snowdonia from the end of every vista. Urns, statues, , , gateways and steps are all here, beautifully designed and placed. His work at Plas Brondanw gave Sir Clough the confidence to embark on his larger and quite different project in 1925, the nearby village of Portmeirion.

PORTMEIRION is best known as the fantasy Italianate village designed and created by architect Sir Clough Williams-Ellis. It is well known as the setting for the TV series The Prisoner and is also the origin for Portmeirion Pottery. Less widely known however, is that Portmeirion has a unique and diverse collection of plants due to its temperate . As a result of its proximity to the sea and the warm moist air of the North Atlantic Drift, tender and subtropical plants grow in the piazzas, avenues, beds and borders surrounding the eclectic mix of Gothic, Renaissance and Victorian buildings that make up the village. Just beyond the village lie 70 acres of woodland with pathways leading to the coastline where Himalayan rhododendrons, camellias, gigantic Japanese Cedars, lakes, oriental follies and a striking red Japanese-style bridge can be found.

LLANLYR is an ancient site where a community of Cistercian nuns lived during the 12th century until the Dissolution of Monasteries under Henry the VIII. The basic structure of the present garden was laid out in 1830 but has undergone considerable restoration and development by present owners Loveday Lewis Gee and her husband Robert who have been adding their own distinctive imprint to the 4 acre garden since the late 1980’s. Wide borders surround the house and a densely planted shrubbery leads to a color-themed rose border. There is a striking Italianate rill, , stone bridge, summerhouse and a large fishpond and garden planted with primulas, gunnera, ferns and irises. Historical features include a cob-walled kitchen garden and a carved Celtic stone commemorating the gift of a plot of land to an Irish follower of St David around 600 AD. Recent additions include a labyrinth inspired by the Dreamer’s journey in William Langland’s 14C poem Piers the Plowman and a large carved oak column, the shadow of which marks the months of the year.

CAE HIR GARDENS is often referred to as a ‘Welsh garden with a Dutch history’. Started over 30 years ago, it is the extraordinary creation of Wil Akkermans, a Dutchman from the Netherlands with a family history in . Akkermans met his wife while on holiday in the Wales seaside town of Aberystwyth and after living in Holland for 9 years; they decided to return to Wales to fulfill his dream of creating his own garden to be opened to the public. Covering 6 acres, the strength of the garden lies in Akkermans skill in blending the wild with the cultivated using a harmonious blend of native and exotic plants. Beds and borders flow into each other with graceful ease leading to hidden paths and sudden surprising views. There is a 60’ laburnum crescent, a meandering , water garden, summerhouse and local slate stonework. In 2004, Cae Hir was chosen by the RHS as a partner garden and in 2009 Akkermans passed the garden on to his son and daughter, each of whom have added their own inspiration to this beautiful garden. Cae Hir has never had the benefits of external funding and still is entirely a family venture and one of Wales best loved gardens.

ABERGLASNEY HOUSE AND GARDENS date back to the 15th century and have gone through ever- changing periods of wealth and prosperity followed by neglect and decay. In 1995 the house was derelict and the garden lost beneath a sea of weeds when the Aberglasney Restoration Trust, backed by a donation from a wealthy American benefactor, began a restoration made famous by a BBC television series that followed the restoration. A book entitled A Garden Lost in Time by Penny David describes the fascinating detective work involved. Today there are 3 walled gardens: an Elizabethan cloister garden; an upper walled garden redesigned by Penelope Hobhouse into a plant-lover’s paradise of rare and unusual perennials, climbers and shrubs; and a lower garden for vegetables, herbs and cut flowers. There is also an award winning Ninfarium: a special indoor garden filled with exotic plants from around the world, and a rare example of an 18th century yew tunnel gnarled and twisted with age.

DYFFRYN HOUSE GARDENS AND ARBORETUM are an exceptional example of Edwardian and were the collaborative result of coal magnates John Cory, his son Reginald and the famous architect Thomas Mawson during the early 1900’s. They incorporated features and styles from several periods in British history as well as influences from around the world. Extensive garden and house restoration has been undertaken by the Vale of Glamorgan Council and in 2013 the National Trust took over stewardship of Dyffryn and is continuing with that work. Dyffryn has been selected by the British Tourist Authority as one of the top 100 gardens in the UK; and in 2015 it won first place in the National Trust’s Special Places in Wales Award. The gardens today are true to their original design. There is a Pompeian Garden with columns, colonnades, fountains and loggias; a Mediterranean Garden, , Cloisters, Garden, Rose Garden, Lavender Court, Heather Garden, Rock Garden, Glass House, an extensive arboretum and a productive walled vegetable garden.

ST FAGANS NATIONAL MUSEUM OF HISTORY is widely known as an open air museum where more than 40 historical buildings have been re-erected to depict how the people of Wales lived, worked, gardened, played and worshipped from the Iron Age to the 19th century. Less well known and perhaps one of Wales best kept secrets are the gardens at St Fagans. From the formal gardens of St. Fagans Castle, to the informal cottage gardens surrounding many of the re-erected houses, the gardens reflect what the original inhabitants would have grown, and offer real insight into the lives of Welsh people throughout history. The Castle, a 16th century Elizabethan Manor house, sits high upon the crest of an escarpment with 5 broad Italianate terraces descending towards a large rectangular pool. The terraces are designed around a framework of stone balustrades, yew topiary, wooden trellises and gravel paths with Grecian urns and statuary. The pool which dates back to 1766 is in fact a farm with 4 fish ponds separated by turf covered dams where fish would have been stocked to provide a regular source of food. In 2003 HRH the Prince of Wales opened the newly restored Italian Garden containing a raised pool, lawns and citrus trees growing in Versailles-style white painted boxes designed to allow the sides to be removed for root . There is a large walled garden near the house that is broken down into sections which include an herb garden, , bowling green, mulberry grove and rose garden known as The Rosery. VEDDW HOUSE GARDEN is situated on a sheltered slope above Tintern in South Wales and is one of the finest contemporary gardens in the country. Owners and artistic creators Anne Wareham, a garden writer and her husband Charles Hawes, an award winning garden photographer bought the property in 1987 which consisted of 2 fields and a bit of woodland. Today, two acres of ornamental gardens and 2 acres of woodland surround their 200 year old cottage. The gardens are a living sculpture of garden rooms bordered by yew and beech , no two the same. Some rhythmically rise and fall with soft curves, referencing the rolling hills of the surrounding countryside, some are sharply angled and others plunge abruptly to offer a sudden reveal of the garden. The garden is a testament to the power of color, texture and form as wildly robust plantings and meadow grasses are tamed by their containment within the strong lines of the hedges and paths. Not only does creativity abound in this garden but so too does a reverence for the past.

HIGH GLANAU MANOR AND GARDENS were designed in 1923 by Henry Avray Tipping, architectural editor of Country Life magazine and a great proponent of the Arts and Crafts Movement, a return to the traditional values, quality of craftsmanship and attention to detail practiced before the Industrial Revolution. Tipping, who had worked beside Gertrude Jekyll and Harold Peto, purchased the land located on a hilltop in the Wye Valley with spectacular views towards the Brecon Beacons, to create his own cottage and garden in preparation for his retirement. He used local stone, oak timber and vernacular softened by drifts of herbaceous plantings and climbing roses to create a house and garden that were at one with each other and their surroundings. The current owners Hilary and Helena Gerrish purchased the property in 2002 when little of the original plantings remained having been replaced by a large outdoor . With the aid of old black and white photographs supplied by Country Life, Helena has successfully restored the gardens to Tipping’s original 1923 design. Formal stone terraces and steps lead to an octagonal lily pool. There is an original Edwardian glass house, , and a 100’ Jekyll inspired double . In addition, paths meander through woodland gardens amidst azaleas and rhododendrons and along a stream garden with a lush and primula beds. Thanks to the restoration by Helena and Hilary, High Glanau remains one of the best examples of an Arts and Crafts Garden in Wales today.

The Laskett Gardens are the largest private formal gardens to have been created in England since 1945. They strongly reflect the personalities and lives of their creators’ Sir Roy Strong, a former director of the Victoria and Albert Museum and National Portrait Gallery and his late wife, designer Julia Treyvelyan who both held very strong opinions about which historical gardens were suitable inspiration. They abhorred the naturalism of Capability Brown and instead, found their design inspiration from gardens of the pre-1914 era such as Hidcote Manor, the English Gardens of the Tudor and Stuart eras, and those of the Italian Renaissance. The gardens are laid out in a series of rooms and a number of features recall the couple’s friends and various jobs. An armillary sphere from the garden of Sir Cecil Beaton graces the Jubilee Garden; an arbor honors the choreographer Sir Frederick Ashton, two of who’s most famous ballets, Julia designed; and the Victoria and Albert Museum Temple signifies Sir Roy’s time there as Director. Sir Roy offered the gardens to the care of the National Trust with an endowment worth millions and was turned down. He then threatened to have the gardens destroyed upon his death claiming: “It would be insulting to the memory of myself and Julia to continue to leave so many things which were dear to us if they are not going to be looked after by the Trust”. In 2015, the horticultural charity Perennial stepped in and has agreed to maintain and preserve the integrity of Laskett Gardens for future generations.

LLYSDINUM GARDENS established in 1850, lie in the heart of mid-Wales backed by the Cambrian Mountains. Covering some 6 acres, they command sweeping views down the Wye Valley and are especially noted for a significant display of rhododendrons and azaleas in the . Successive family members developed the garden throughout the past 150 years to include a woodland walk with specimen trees, large herbaceous and shrub borders, a water garden and a Victorian walled kitchen garden with extensive that grow a wide variety of vegetables, hothouse fruit and exotic plants. Today, the gardens are run by members of the Llysdinam Trust who are working to further develop the gardens whilst maintaining their historical importance.

ROCK MILL is a beautiful two acre riverside garden in a woodland valley that is privately owned by Rufus and Cherry Fairweather, who open their garden to the public for charity during the National Garden Schemes Open Days. There are colorful borders, shrubberies, specimen trees, terraces, woodland walks, bridges, fishponds, an , and herb and vegetable gardens. Additional features include a heather thatched roundhouse, dovecote, beehives and industrial remnants of a corn mill and railway line.

DINGLE NURSERY AND GARDENS began in 1968 when Andy Joseph and his wife Kath began growing Christmas trees on an acre of his parents land. At the same time Andy’s parents Barbara and Roy Joseph gradually began developing an area of their farmland into a spectacular garden. Today, the 4.5 acre garden is run by their grandson Duncan and his wife Clare and is an internationally acclaimed RHS partner garden. Set in the heart of Wales just 2 miles from the market town of Welshpool, the peaceful secluded garden winds down a south facing slope to a lake and small . It is especially well known for its dramatic color-themed beds that showcase a wide and unusual range of shrubs, trees and herbaceous plantings. The Nursery runs alongside the garden and is now a long-established family run business stocking a huge range of plants including many of the more unusual shrubs and trees which grow in the garden.

GLANSEVERN GARDENS are romantically situated along the banks of the River Severn with sweeping views across the Mid Wales countryside. The elegant Greek revival house and gardens were built in the early 1800’s and after falling into disrepair, were purchased by Neville and Jenny Thomas in 1982 who worked diligently for more than 30 years to restore them to their former glory. The gardens have been open to the public since 1996 and are considered of great historical and architectural significance. Twenty-five acres consist of a mixture of formal plantings, borders, lawns, a 5 acre lake and many unusual and ancient specimen trees. Entirely remodeled in 2001, main walled garden is accessed via a magnificent Ginkgo-leaved metal gate and is now comprised of separately themed rooms, including a Rose Garden, White Garden, Kitchen and Cutting Garden. There is also a Victorian , Rockery and Georgian Orangery dating from 1840, and a newly designed terrace and Rill Garden. Peaceful paths meander around the lake over an iron footbridge and lead to a charming cascading Water garden planted with moisture loving candelabra primulas and hostas. The house and gardens were sold in 2012, but Neville and Jenny Thomas continue to offer invaluable advice to the current owners who are committed to keeping the garden well-maintained and open to all.

POWIS CASTLE GARDENS are world-famous. The Castle itself is an amalgam of architectural styles from across the centuries, a combination of medieval fortress, Elizabethan manor house, and 19th century stately home. Remodeled and embellished for more than 400 years, it contains a magnificent collection of paintings, sculpture, furniture, tapestries and treasures from India. The wonderful gardens at Powis comprised of dramatic hanging terraces and grass slopes, were laid out in the 1680’s by William Winde for the 1st Marquess of Powis who sat in exile with King James II after the Glorious Revolution in 1688. After that, the cliffhanging garden continued evolving under successive generations of the Herbert family, the Earls of Powis and the property was eventually passed on to the National Trust in 1952. The gardens are considered one of the greatest surviving examples of design in Britain as well as a testament to extreme gardening and horticultural excellence. Today the top terrace is one of the most spectacular borders in Britain with colorful and dramatic plantings and superb views of the surrounding countryside. There is a 30’ high cloud-like yew , and unusual and tender plants thrive within the shelter of the walls, alcoves and hedges. In the early 1900’s, the kitchen garden was transformed into a formal , garden and croquet .