Join us for a Great Orme walkies

Attention all our #WagWednesday dog walkers – join us for a fun day on the Great Orme in Llandudno, to celebrate the summer opening of footpaths at our neighbouring National Trust Parc Farm…

Visitors to Paws in the Parc on Saturday, June 16, can enjoy dog shows and demonstrations, and get a chance to look around and learn about the conservation work being done at this special farm.

Our NT Wales ranger Doug Don (seen above with his own faithful hound Flynn) says: “We had 200 visitors last year for our first dog fun day and everyone had a great time. This year it’s going to be bigger and better – a fun day for all the family and four-legged friends.”

The Great Orme is one of Britain’s top five botanical sites. The limestone headland is home to rare species of plants and animals, some of which are found nowhere else on earth, and their future requires a more traditional way of farming.

Tenant farmer Dan Jones (seen below with his family) manages Parc Farm for National Trust Wales where he close shepherds his flock – provided by the conservation charity Plantlife – on the rugged grassland, working alongside Trust rangers and volunteers to manage and maintain the landscape and welcome visitors.

Last year the team created two new footpaths across the farm, which open from June to December (closed in the winter during lambing and while birds are nesting).

Ranger Doug says: “Last year we opened two footpaths giving access to an area which has been closed to the public for generations. It gives people the chance to see the farming going on, spot the Chough in the fields near the summit and the unique wildflowers. Hopefully it will help people understand what we’re doing here and why the sheep are so important for the conservation of the Great Orme.”

Plants such as Hoary Rockrose thrive on the Orme (Image:Plantlife)

Paws at the Parc is being supported by Conwy County Borough Council, Plantlife, Valley Training and Pont. Running from 11am to 3pm, there will be a fun dog show, obedience demonstrations, a sheep shearing demo by farmer Dan and guided walk by ranger Doug, information stalls by local groups and children’s craft activities.

There is limited parking at the Orme summit car park, also public transport available from the town via the Great Orme Tramway and the cable car (which all accept dogs). Follow the signposts for the event from the summit car park. Owners are asked to keep their dogs on short leads within the farm walls, and under close control elsewhere around the headland where there are livestock.

If anyone would like to know more about our work on the Great Orme contact our National Trust office on 01492 650460 or check out @ParcFarmNT on Facebook  http://www.facebook.com/ParcFarmNT

 

 

 

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Walkies at Bodnant Garden just got better

Big ones and small ones, fluffy ones and sleek ones…we’ve grown accustomed to seeing dogs of all shapes and sizes in the garden over the summer on #WagWednesday evenings, and we’ve been loving your pictures too. The season has come to an end, but it’s not long until November dog days begin again. And we’ve got some news to get those tails wagging…next year we’re extending our welcome to dog walkers throughout the year.

From 2018 dogs will be welcome all day, every day in autumn and winter (from beginning of October to the end of March) and on #WagWednesday evenings in spring and summer (from beginning of April to end of September.) So apart from Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day (when the garden is closed) there will be an opportunity to bring your dog to Bodnant every week of the year.

Earl and Poppy both enjoying the hydrangeas – proving to be a popular posing spot!

We know many dog owners love bringing their best friends and furry family members with them when they visit – in some cases, not being able to bring the pooch prevents people being able to visit. We do also appreciate that other visitors are not so comfortable around canines, or just prefer to enjoy the garden dog-free, frankly.  So we’ve tried our best to develop a programme that will allow all of our visitors the time and space they’d like in Bodnant Garden.

Bobby just chilling on the Top Lawn

We first trialled dog entry in winter 2013 and have been tweaking the programme since, thanks to your feedback.  Up to now we’ve had a March/April and September/October break in the programme – a ‘breathing space’ to review the impact of dogs on the garden and on visitors – and are now filling in the blanks. We’ll keep reviewing how it goes, so if you have any comments or suggestions keep letting us know.

As always we just have a few simple asks of our dog walkers – please use a short lead (not extendable ones) stick to the gravel and grass paths, and of course clean up after your dog (bags are provided in reception.) And keep sending those fabulous photos!

Freddy here (above) and Bailey (top picture) have become #WagWednesday regulars…and familiar faces on social media too. Thanks everyone for sharing your pictures 🙂

For more details about Bodnant Garden call 01492 650460, check out our website nationaltrust.org.uk/bodnant-garden or find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

 

 

Join the patter of Paws on the Great Orme

Attention dog walkers! We know you love our summer #WagWednesdays here at Bodnant Garden, and you’ll soon be able to explore another National Trust beauty spot nearby on the Great Orme.

Parc Farm shepherd Dan Jones 

We’re co-hosting a dog fun day at Parc Farm, part of the famous Llandudno landmark which National Trust bought for the nation in 2015, to celebrate the opening of new public footpaths.

Paws on the Great Orme on Sunday, June 18, features fun dog shows and demonstrations and storytelling for families. It’s also a chance for visitors to look around Parc Farm and learn about the special farming and conservation work being done there by National Trust Wales and our partner organisation Plantlife – as well as the work of Conwy County Borough Council and PONT Cymru on the wider headland.

William Greenwood, property manager for Bodnant Garden and Parc Farm, says:  “Parc Farm is a breathtaking beauty spot and it’s great to be able to share it with walkers, and their dogs. Come and enioy this stunning area and see the work we’re doing to protect it for future generations of people and wildlife.”

Farmer Dan at work with his dog Tian

Perched on top of the Great Orme headland, the 145-acre Parc Farm enjoys far-reaching views of Snowdonia and the Irish Sea and is home to rare and special wildlife found nowhere else on earth. It is being farmed in traditional way for the National Trust by tenant farmer Dan Jones who is practising close-shepherding to encourage the rare species found there. Dan’s flock of Llyn and Herdwick sheep have been provided by charity Plantlife, which is supporting the conservation work there.

Dogs on short leads please! Ranger Doug with his buddy at Parc Farm

Our National Trust ranger Doug Don and his volunteers have also been busy creating two new footpaths from the Great Orme summit past Parc Farm. It will be the first time the public have had access to this area since the farm was enclosed in 1875.

Dogs on short leads will be welcomed from June until December.  Over winter and spring they will be closed to reduce disturbance to sheep during lambing and to allow the Great Orme’s protected birds, the Chough, to feed their young.

Doug says: “We’re really pleased to be able to welcome visitors to parts of Parc Farm after such a long time. It will be seasonal, to balance access with the needs of farming and nature conservation, and we’ll be monitoring the effect on wildlife.

“But we hope people will come and enjoy it. All we ask is that walkers stick to the waymarked paths, keep dogs on a short lead, clear up after their pets and follow the signage and notices. All restrictions and closures will be clearly posted.”

Do not disturb…footpaths will be closed at certain times of year to protect sheep and other wildlife

Paws on the Great Orme takes place at Parc Farm starting at 11am (some parking is available on the summit, from where the two new footpaths begin.) There will be a fun dog show at 12.30 plus dog obedience demonstrations at 11.30am and 2.15pm by Valley dog Training, and sheep dog demonstrations at 12 noon and 2.45pm by shepherd Dan Jones. Visitors can also have a go at mini agility with Valley Dog Training and talk to members of Butterfly Conservation, RSPCA, Guide Dogs Cymru, North Wales Wildlife Trust, Conwy County Borough Council who will be at the event. Refreshments will be provided by Bodnant Garden’s catering team.

To find out more contact our National Trust office on 01492 650460.

Feel the love this February

It’s February – spring is around the corner and love is in the air. Snowdrops are popping out, as are the first lambs, and Valentine’s Day (like it or not) is slap bang in the middle of the month.

If ever there was a time to embrace spring it’s after the long wet winter we’ve all had. So let’s celebrate – with family, friends and nature – fill our lungs with fresh air and get inspired for the year ahead.

Here at Bodnant Garden we’ve got plenty for families to do this school holiday, so pull on those wellies and get outdoors for some fun, creativity and, more importantly, that special together-time.

There will be activities around the garden for kids every day from 11am-3pm Monday to Friday of half term, February 15-19. Create some memories with our Trail Making Mondays, Pond Dipping Tuesdays, Wildlife Wednesdays, Pooh Stick Thursdays and Wild Art Fridays.

There’s also snowdrop planting in the Old Park, every day 1pm-3pm from Saturday, February 13, to Sunday, February 21.

The humble snowdrop (Galanthus nivalis) is an important symbol of hope and rebirth in many cultures. Every year at Bodnant Garden we plant more snowdrops ‘in the green’ – in flower – to bulk up the display for the future. This year we’re hoping to give a home to 25,000 of them – so there’s plenty to go round!

We supply the plants and gardeners will dig the holes, all we ask is some help from visitors to fill them. There’s no need to book, just drop by and do as many or as few as you like…the more the merrier. Then come back next year and see your efforts growing.

And how could we forget, it’s also Valentine’s Day on Sunday, February 14. Treat the love of your life – person or pooch – with a visit to the garden. Dogs are welcome in the garden every day throughout February.

Enjoy the camellias, first flowering rhododendrons and magnolia buds ripening; spring flowers such as primroses and hellebores; and bulb displays of crocus, early daffodils and even, thanks to the warm winter, some tulips chomping at the bit!

Come along and feel the love…

There’s no extra charge for any of these events – normal garden admission applies. For more details about Bodnant Garden call 01492 650460, check out our website nationaltrust.org.uk/bodnant-garden or catch up with us on Facebook  or Twitter.

 

 

Take a walk in our Winter Wonderland

We hope you’ve all had a great Christmas Day…maybe you’re getting ready for round two today?! By tomorrow many of us will be in need of a good walk and some fresh air. Well it so happens we have the perfect solution for you…get yourselves down to our Winter Garden.

Bodnant’s Winter Garden is now three years old. Four years in the planning and two years in the making, it opened in New Year 2013 and is coming on in leaps and bounds. Plants have bulked up and filled out, now putting on a wonderfully colourful display of leaves, flowers, bark – and scent too. And for those of you who don’t want to walk too far after the festivities, it’s all in the upper garden!

The site of our Winter Garden was a former Edwardian rockery which for many years had been a densely overgrown forest of azaleas and rhododendrons, closed to the public. The renovation cost £35,000 and the garden attracted 10,000 visitors in its opening three months. It was so popular that, instead of closing it to the public in March as originally planned, we kept the ropes down all year.

In redesigning the area our former head gardener Troy Smith made the most of the light, which at midday shines from the south across the Old Park backlighting the plants.  The design of the garden followed the former layout of stone beds, but paths have been slightly altered to give a more sinuous sweep.

Existing Lawson Cypress were retained to give structure to the planting scheme, as were many of the old shrubs such as rhododendrons, garrya, camellia and the stunningly gnarled old Acer palmatum. Other taller structural plants were added such as the white birches Betula utlis and the silky red cherry Prunus serrula.

Forming the middle level are shrubs such as hamamelis, daphne and sarcococca for scent, viburnum and camellia for flower, cornus and rubus for stems and skimmia for berries. A lower layer of small shrubs and herbaceous plants include red leaved bergenia and pittosporum, arching grasses and ferns, heathers and hellebores, with a colourful underplanting of bulbs such as snowdrops, iris, cyclamen and crocus.

Here’s a little gallery of pictures to tempt you. If you can’t make it in person we hope you’ll curl up on the sofa and enjoy them (along with that other mince pie). If you’re feeling more energetic there’s the rest of Bodnant Garden to explore, including our new area The Far End which is open to the public for the first time in winter.

 

 

 

The garden opens again on December 27. For more details about Bodnant Garden call 01492 650460, check out our website nationaltrust.org.uk/bodnant-garden or catch up with us on Facebook  or Twitter.

Forget the high street…take our garden path to a traditional Christmas

Staff, volunteers…and elves are getting ready for a festive family Christmas at Bodnant Garden.

We’ve got sacks to offer this winter – enjoy walks in the frost-sparkling garden, bring the children to meet Santa and the elves, discover traditional gifts at the shop, garden centre and craft units, and top your day off with Christmas fare, whether it’s a sit-down lunch or al fresco toasted marshmallows.

Bodnant Garden is open all year-round (apart from Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day) with 80 acres of beautiful landscape to enjoy, including a blooming Winter Garden.

Events officer Charlie Stretton says: “We’re looking forward to a magical Christmas here at Bodnant Garden. It’s the place to come if you want to escape the madness of the high street!”

Chief elf aka volunteer Dave Horsley

The star on our Christmas tree is the Elves’ Workshop, now in its third successful year. The idea was developed by Bodnant Garden volunteers who have renovated part of the historic Old Mill in the riverside garden of The Dell, transforming it into a cosy indoor hub for family activities. This December families will be able to drop in and enjoy Christmas crafts, followed by toasted marshmallows by the roaring brazier outside.

Charlie says: “The Elves’ Workshops are great fun for all the family and have proved very popular. Children really enjoy meeting the resident elves and creating small decorations to take home for their own Christmas tree.”

Workshops will be running every Saturday and Sunday from November 28 to December 20, from 11am to 3pm (no extra charge and no booking required). There will also be a traditional Tree Dressing Day on Sunday, December 6, from 11am to 3pm, when visitors can come along and create a decoration to hang on our very own Bodnant Garden tree.

Then of course there is the small matter of our famous Grade I Listed garden to explore; visitors can soak in seasonal highlights of the Winter Garden (above), which opened in 2012 and is now a blaze of colour, also for the first time in winter explore The Far End, ten acres of riverside garden which opened to the public this year. Walkers can being their dogs on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays until the end of December, then every day from January to the end of February 2016.

For refreshment after all that activity there will be hot lunches served at the two tearooms and al fresco snacks at the kiosk in The Dell – where you can keep toasty warm beside the brazier at weekends.

As for that Christmas shopping – sorted! The National Trust Gift shop and our neighbours at Bodnant Garden Centre offer a huge range of Christmas ideas, from cards, decorations and gifts to plants, and of course Christmas trees and wreaths. What’s more there’s a unique collection of local arts and crafts products at Bodnant Craft Centre, from jewellery, paintings, ceramics and furniture.

And not forgetting Santa, who will be dropping in at Bodnant Garden Centre on Saturdays and Sundays, November 28 to December 20, from 11am to 4pm each day. Entry to Santa’s Grotto is free and donations go towards Ty Gobaith and Ysgol y Gogarth. (He may be swapping his traditional sleigh and for a more horticultural mode of transport…Hoe Hoe Hoe!)

For more details about Bodnant Garden call 01492 650460, check out our website nationaltrust.org.uk/bodnant-garden or catch up with us on Facebook  or Twitter.

Autumn’s so bright you’ll need to wear shades

There’s plenty to warm the cockles of your heart at Bodnant Garden this autumn. We’ve got 80 acres of autumn glow, plus events for all the family and a warm welcome in our tearooms.

Bodnant Garden is a firework display of colour in autumn, with the dazzling leaf colour of trees and shrubs, ripening fruit and berries and late flowering plants putting on a show to rival the bright colours of summer.

The garden’s 140-year-old collection of trees are at their finest at this time of year, especially in Chapel Park (seen below) where you can enjoy the reds, purples and ambers of Japanese acers plus many others – some exotics collected by plant hunters more than a century ago along with other beautiful native trees.

For the first time in the garden’s history this autumn, visitors can explore the arboretum in the newly opened lakeside area, The Far End, which includes some of the garden’s Champion Trees.

 

In the formal gardens on The Terraces roses are still in bloom and herbaceous beds are full with late flowering asters, sedums and dahlias; in The Dell our swathes of hydrangeas are changing all the colours of the kaleidoscope as they age; and in the Shrub Borders plants are laden with berries and fruit.

 

Look out for the weirdest fruit of the garden, the blue pods of Decaisnea fargesii (Dead Man’s Fingers), and giant raspberries of Cornus kousa (seen above). Birds are loving the autumn too as they make the most of the fruits on offer. There’s a chance to see them on October 9 with our Birds of Bodnant Walk at 11am. This is a free guided tour with an expert from Birdwatching Trips.

There’s plenty for younger visitors during half term week – from Monday October 26 to Friday October 31 we’re hosting Wild About Gardens Week with craft activities in the Old Mill in The Dell, from 11am to 2pm.

There will be environmental art around the garden and families will be encouraged to make their own from items like leaves and cones. There will also be a trail of pumpkins to lead people to the Old Mill. On Saturday, October 31, there are Halloween activities at The Far End and the Old Mill from 12am to 3pm including Making a Witch’s Hovel. These are free events so drop in at any time.

On Wednesday November 18 there’s a Walk with the Head Gardener – this is an opportunity to meet John Rippin, who took over in January, and find out about his vision for the future (cost £10, call 01492 650460 to book a place.)

And talking of walks…Dogs Welcome starts again in November (Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays), with the garden now open to our four-legged friends every day from January until the end of February.

If the candyfloss scent of Cercidiphyllum japonicum (Katsura Tree) gives you an appetite there are refreshments on offer every day in the Pavilion and Magnolia tearooms throughout the autumn, plus the kiosks in the Dell and Far End at weekends.

For more details about Bodnant Garden call 01492 650460, check out our website nationaltrust.org.uk/bodnant-garden or catch up with us on Facebook  or Twitter.

Extending our welcome to dog walkers

Dog walkers…are you sitting to attention? Our summer season of Dogs Welcome may have closed for now but we’ve got good news – we’re extending the welcome in 2016.

Evie – thanks owner Dan Struthers

Winter Dogs Welcome starts again in November, when the garden is open to pooches on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays until the end of the year. From January 2016 the garden will be open every day to dogs (and their owners of course) until the end of February. Going forward, every-day winter entry for dogs will continue each year from November to February.

In summer we’ll continue our special Wag Wednesday, when the garden is open to dog walkers on Wednesday late night openings, 5-8pm, from May to the end of August.

Since we first began Dogs Welcome in 2013 we’ve seen a steady growth in the number of people bringing their pets to the garden. From several hundred dogs through the gates in the trial year of 2013, we had 1,025 dog visitors from March to March 2014/15.

It has proved especially popular through the winter months, traditionally our quieter period. From talking to visitors, and from comment cards and posts to social media, it seems that winter access is appreciated by local NT members and people living nearby.

One dog getting a selfie at the Laburnum Arch

Our summer Wednesday evenings is gaining fans too, with holiday makers and people visiting after work for their evening walkies – the numbers of dog visitors rising from 395 May to August 2014 to 473 this summer (and still counting).

We appreciate that not all people are dog lovers! Which is why we limit access times to the garden to make it enjoyable for everyone, and with 80 acres of garden, including new areas like the Far End opening, there is lots of space for all to enjoy. To date there have been very few reported problems of noise, mess, or bad behaviour (human or canine) so this policy seems to be working.

So dog owners…at the risk of getting all Barbara Woodhouse on you… all we ask is that you use a short lead (not extendable), keep to the paths, deposit any dog mess in the bins provided and in the summer please, please do not leave dogs in hot cars in the car park. Enjoy!

For more details about Bodnant Garden call 01492 650460, check out our website nationaltrust.org.uk/bodnant-garden or catch up with us on Facebook  or Twitter.

Bailey – thanks owner Julia Pigula

There’s blooming good fun to be had at Bodnant Garden this summer

The roses are out…summer has officially arrived at Bodnant Garden and it’s time to get the family out and enjoying the great outdoors.

The garden has six weeks of special summer activities and events to delight visitors of all ages. Charlie Stretton, our events officer, says: “There’s something for everyone; adults can enjoy the beauty of the garden to the sound of harp music, while the kids can get their hands dirty building dens, pond dipping  and even being gardeners for a day. It’s the perfect place for everyone to get outdoors and a little closer to nature.”

Our summer kicks-off with a fortnight of Kids’ Crafts, from July 20. There will be activities Monday to Friday at the Old Mill in The Dell (11-1pm), a chance to get creative making Cone Creatures, Dancing Dragonflies and Lovely Leaf Crowns.

In August our Grow Wild events take over, with a programme of nature activities for youngsters: Pond Dipping at the Skating Pond on Tuesdays (12-3pm), Nature Walks on Wednesdays (11-12noon), Wild Art on Thursdays under the Laburnum Arch (12-3pm), Wildlife Detectives on Fridays (2-3.30pm), Den Building on Saturday in the Far End (11-3pm) and Gardener’s Apprentice on Sundays (2-3pm).

There’s also Music in the Pin Mill most Sundays through the summer (2-4pm), plus a series of Guided Walks (2-3pm) including Champion Trees on July 29, Students’ Walk on August 12 and History of Bodnant Garden on August 26.

There are Falconry Displays on July 22 and August 19 (10.30-4pm) and Poem Open Days on July 28 and August 25, offering a chance to explore inside the mausoleum dedicated to Bodnant Garden’s founder family.

Play Nature Detectives during our Grow Wild month

Summer ends on a high note with our Big Tree Climb on August 30 and 31 (10-3pm) when visitors of all ages can join experts to scale some of our giants. There’s no extra charge for any of these events but booking is essential for a place on the tree climbing and guided walks, by calling 01492 650460.

Don’t forget dogs are welcome every Wednesday evening all through the summer, from 5-8pm, until the end of August.

After all that activity if you have time to stop and eat there’s indoor dining at the garden’s two tearooms and al fresco snacks at kiosks at The Old Mill and the newly opened Far End. Visitors can also picnic among the meadow grass in the Old Park and Chapel Park, under trees in the Yew Dell and in The Dell.

Arts and crafts under the Laburnum Arch

Charlie says: “And let’s not forget the garden! There are spectacular displays on our two rose terraces, flowering beds and borders are at their peak, wildflower meadows are buzzing with butterflies and bees, and the riverside gardens are cool and lush. There’s so much to do and see you could spend all summer here!”

For more details about Bodnant Garden call 01492 650460, check out our website nationaltrust.org.uk/bodnant-garden or catch up with us on Facebook  or Twitter.

Bodnant helps volunteers create veterans’ sensory garden

Bodnant gardener David Green has been helping volunteers and staff of the Blind Veterans Association create a sensory garden at their Llandudno centre, and was guest at the recent opening:

David and Bodnant’s head gardener John at the opening

The Blind Veterans Llandudno Centre has been developing a sensory garden in a previously overgrown, wooded area of their grounds.

The charity provides support to both ex-Service men and women blinded in action, and for veterans who have lost their sight through accident, illness or old age to discover life beyond sight loss. This support includes helping them to relearn vital life skills and providing them with the tools they need to be independent in their own homes as well as offering new learning, training and recreation opportunities and providing long-term nursing, residential and respite care.

 The new garden provides a safe and stimulating outdoor environment for visitors to the centre, but also provides a venue for other educational activities. A rope handrail is available to guide visitors around the garden which is planted with difference textures and colours for the partially sighted as well as numerous scented plants. Listening guides have also been provided so that visitors can learn to identify the birdsong in the garden.

It was designed by a garden designer from London but most of the physical activity in clearing and replanting the area has been done by volunteer groups co-ordinated by staff at the centre.

Originally I was asked to advise on creating a vegetable garden from the pallets left over from their plant delivery. In the future, I will also be providing a maintenance plan with advice on things like pruning cornus to get the maximum winter colour and keeping some more thuggish plants such as periwinkle in their place.

 

A wildlife hotel made from palettes and a bench carved from a tree

The opening of the garden is in celebration of the charity’s 100 years of service. It was also an opportunity to thank all the volunteers involved in the creation of the garden as well as recognising the vital input they made by volunteers at the centre during National Volunteer’s Week.

For more information contact the centre at Blind Veterans UK, Queens Road, Llandudno, LL30 1UT (call 01492 868700) or go to the website www.blindveterans.org.uk

For more details about Bodnant Garden call 01492 650460, check out our website nationaltrust.org.uk/bodnant-garden or catch up with us on Facebook  or Twitter.