The National Botanic Garden of Wales – Part 2

Here we are once again looking at our visit to the National Botanic Garden of Wales and as promised we will feature the dome, known as the ‘Great Glasshouse’.

Some beautiful planting on the approach to the glasshouse sets the tone for what to expect inside.

The structure of the glasshouse took our breath away even though we have seen it a few times before. The curving metal ribs invite the eyes to explore the whole roof and the sky beyond.

Of course the plants are the stars! Sadly we felt a little let down by the planting as there seemed to be more gaps where plants had expired and the labels in some cases were missing while others were not as clear or useful.

As we followed the gravel pathway gently uphill we found several colourful, unusual flowering plants.

Foliage is of course of equal value as flowers and offers so much interest, as it varies in colours, textures, shapes and size.

We continued to follow the pathways around the glasshouse in search of flowers, foliage and interesting bark.

Once back outside in the fresh air, we made our way back down the central roadway stopping off on the way as interesting vistas called out to us. A tall gateway took us into the unique double-walled garden, where we could seek out interesting borders.

In the centre of the walled garden we discovered a wonderful glasshouse packed out with tropical specialities.

So after a wet unpleasant start to the day we went on to enjoy our visit very much. There is so much to see and so many places to explore.