Three days exploring the Gardens of Southern Wales

Day 1 - Monmouthshire

Stop 1 - A drive through the Wye Valley at any time of year is always beautiful – but the colours are very special in the autumn. If you have a group that like a walk then a stop at The Eagles Nest, Wyndcliff should be part of the day.

Two private gardens near to Tintern, show very different ways that they have harnessed the local conditions:

Stop 2 - Veddw House Garden is “A quirky garden created by self-confessed ‘Bad-Tempered Gardener’ Anne Wareham. The hedges alone are worth a visit, and there is much to learn about the use of plants in this Welsh garden. Quirky, fun, inspiring.” Alan Titchmarsh

Stop 3 - Wye Valley Sculpture Garden is a beautiful combination of art and nature – with a particularly spectacular collection of Snowdrops and Hellebores for late winter/early spring visits.

Stop 4 - Usk is renowned as the winner of many Town in Bloom awards and so each summer you will find lots of bright floral displays. Also, each year, over the last weekend of June, between 15 and 20 private gardens are open for visitors as part of Usk Open Gardens, many of which can be visited by groups with prior booking.

Stop 5 - Llanover Garden dates back to the early 1800’s which recently featured in Carol Klein’s Great British Gardens. Lady Llanover often leads tours of the garden and tells, lots of family stories, and there are frequent Rare Plant Sales.

Day 2 - Around Cardiff and Newport

Stop 1 - Start the day with a Champion Tree Walk around Bute Park, in the centre of Cardiff. Champion Trees are the tallest, widest, etc of their species – and there are 41 specimens in Bute Park Arboreum. A visit to explore Cardiff Castle could be added.

Stop 2 - Visit Insole Court. The Insole family were pioneering coal-shippers and mine-owners. As they enlarged Insole House and the grounds they deliberately planted trees for others to sit under. The beautiful gardens have been open to the public since 1946.

Stop 3 - A visit to St Fagan’s National Museum of History includes some of the best formal gardens in Wales around St Fagan’s Castle.

Stop 4 - A visit to the formal gardens and parkland of Tredegar House and Park and add a tour of the Mansion.

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Day 3 - The Vale of Glamorgan

Stop 1 – Start the day at Dyffryn Gardens which comprises a suite of intimate garden rooms, formal lawns and a glasshouse showcasing an impressive cacti and orchid collection.

Stop 2 - Travel on to Cowbridge and visit the Cowbridge Physic Garden which is just off the main street and is filled with a glorious array of medicinal plants and herbs, typical of physic gardens from centuries past.

Stop 3 - Take a trip to Barry to enjoy the traditional seaside bedding displays at Romilly Park and The Knap Lake and Gardens.

Stop 4 – Carry on to Parc Slip Nature Reserve to explore the beautiful way that nature has reclaimed this former industrial site.

The area also has a wealth of private gardens that are open each summer as part of the National Garden Scheme (Yellow Book) many of which will open for your group. Here are a few of the gardens where groups can book to visit:

• 12 Uplands Crescent, Llandough, Penarth CF64 2PR
• Glebe House, Llanvair Kilgeddin, Abergavenny NP7 9BE
• Bryngwyn Manor, Bryngwyn, Raglan NP15 2JH
• Maes-y-Wertha Farm, Bryncethin CF32 9YJ