Member's Photo Albums

The Floriade is an International Horticultural Festival that takes place once every ten years in The Netherlands. It is started from scratch - this year it was built on newly constructed islands near Almere, a little way outside Amsterdam. The Floriade runs from Spring to Autumn. When it's over the buildings and infrastructure are converted into a new town.  

We've been lucky to visit the two previous Floriades too. Whilst we think that this one may have been affected by the situation over the last two years we still spent from 10am to 5.30pm looking around.

You can look though its web site HERE

Derek Jarman's Garden, Dungeness, Kent. - Was a sceptic before visiting, now a convert. Desolate, haunting and beautiful, but definitely a 'marmite' garden

Great Dixter Gardens, East Sussex (close by Sissinghurst and equally stunning!) - Christopher Lloyd's Garden

This is a National Trust Garden. It's simply stunning, well worth a visit.

We have just returned from a week in Surrey, we had a brilliant time and visited some gardens. We stayed at Goddards which was built by architect Edwin Lutyens and has a garden laid out by his friend and collaborator, Gertrude Jekyll. One day we visited Leonardslee with  rhododendrons, azaleas and magnolias. Another day we visited RHS Wisley.

We're always up for a good garden visit, especially if there's coffee and cake on offer (we can recommend the Almond and Cherry Scones). At this time of year and for the next few months Lea Gardens near Matlock bursts with colour. It's mainly Rhododendrons but there's a well planted rockery and other features too. It's on a steep slope and so you need stout shoes and a bit of energy if you visit. Here's a sample of what's in flower at the moment (end of April).

Another place where the coffee and cake is worth stopping off for is Elvaston Castle. We like to do either the walk out to the River Derwent, along the river and back into the park or wander around the Nature Reserve (can easy get lost - beware!).

This time of year it's good to stop off at the Azalea Garden and have a look around at the many colours of blooms.