I visited Bowood Woodland Gardens during my Easter break. The gardens form a separate part of the Bowood Estate near Calne in Wiltshire and are open for a 6-week period between April and June. As the garden is an RHS partner, I was able to visit for free using my RHS membership. I initially followed the outer periphery of the garden and then zigzagged around the various meandering, internal paths.
The Magnolias were glorious. The cobalt blue Easter sky set them off to perfection.
The garden is famous Rhododendrons and Azaleas. It was developed by the third Marquis of Lansdowne from 1854 and contains many original hardy hybrid Rhododendrons that were previously thought extinct. My walk made me reminisce about past visits to the Great Gardens of Cornwall and Kew’s Rhododendron Dell. The Rhododendrons were not yet at their peak. Several bushes were nonetheless covered in flowers and buds.
I perched for a while on an 18th-century tree stump. Its dates were etched into the trunk: 1753-2018. Later, as I made my way back up the hill, a heavily pregnant lady was standing on the stump posing for her husband to take a photograph. It seems extraordinary that their child could live into the 22nd century.
© Karen Andrews
I was surprised how large the Woodland Garden was. I spent several hours there strolling along the many paths and up and down the slopes. I decided to save a visit to the main Bowood Estate for another day.
References and Further Reading
- Visit Wiltshire (2022): Bowood House & Gardens.
- Woodland Gardens. Bowood House & Gardens Leaflet with map.
Note
Karen does not seek or receive any commercial interest or advantage from this blog. She is not promoting any business venture. She simply loves to share fascinating facts about plants. These pages illustrate her love of plants, botany, biodiversity, gardens and creative expression. There is always so much to learn about plant diversity. This blog is designed as a showcase for photography, commentary on plants and wildlife, gardens and other places visited, horticulture and related topics. Viewpoints are her own, not those of her employer.