We’ve just spent four perfectly sunny days in Bodnant, in the Conwy Valley, North Wales. And anyone who knows Wales, and its propensity for precipitation, will know we were truly blessed. In March too. We even had breakfast outside. Ye gods!
We were staying in a cottage on the Bodnant Estate, which meant an essential visit to the wonderful Bodnant Gardens, owned and managed with much grace by the National Trust.
These tulips were the first things we saw as we stepped into the formal gardens. What show-offs.
There will be more Bodnant photos over the next few days. Here’s a taster, with a view of the Welsh mountains. There was a scattering of snow on the highest peaks, despite the sunshine.
Cee’s Flower of the Day Please pop over to Cee’s for more tulip jubilation.
Beautiful images and yes you have been most fortunate with the weather Gods in Wales 🙂
Lucky we were. Robin at Northumberland Light says it was because he invested heavily in rainwear for a golfing weekend 🙂
Exactly 🙂
Gorgeous Tish 🙂
WOW Tish!!! I am truly grateful for all the photography friends and writers that I have made all over the world, as I get to visit all the beautiful places in the world, that I know I will never get to see personally, through their eyes! Thank you Tish for all the wonderful posts and pictures you make. Your photography is both breath taking and captivating.
This rainy dreary albeit warm Virginia morning I got to visit a beautiful English/Welsh Garden (on a beautiful sunny day) 🙂 I always look forward to each of your posts, whatever the topic is that day!
Thanks so much, Mitchell. I’m glad I could send you some Welsh sunshine 🙂
I am really looking forward to seeing more photo’s from these gardens Tish! 🙂
Glorious
Ye gods! Good on you! Happy happy happy. Bill
🙂 🙂 🙂
You were definitely blessed Tish. What fantastic reds 🙂
Startling little bunch, aren’t they.
Enjoyed your excellent photos and look forward for more…
Never been in Wales and they are so inviting!
Thanks for this share!
Ah,so as you asked last week to send some sun … glad to see it seems to have arrived on time!
Lovely shots. I am presuming you took more photos and we will have a grander tour avec le history sometime in the future?
You may indeed presume, Ark. There will be more of Bodnant. Also v. many thanks for the sun delivery 🙂
Gorgeous tulips. I love how these are so shiny. 😀
I think the head gardener must have had them polished 🙂
So beautiful, Tish! Looking forward to seeing more beautiful photos of this special place. 🙂
That red is remarkable Tish – reminds me of a line from Garrison Keillor: “If a woman with bright red lipstick appeared, a person would fall over backward”. The tulips could do the same.
Aren’t they amazing, and totally unenhanced editing wise. Garrison Keillor is a whizz, isn’t he. A spaniel I once had ate Lake Wobegon Days. Somehow I think he would laugh at this.
Beautiful shots Tish. I’m so glad you had some sunshine. I suppose I’m a bit far away to claim to have taken the rain for you?
Oh dear. Did it end up with you 😦
Yes; but I am not going to complain because I’ve seen footage of cyclone Debbie across the ditch.
Here I’m in love with a small bush of retiring autumn wattle, but I could be persuaded to miss tulips!
Bodnant is fabalus (!!) I kept wishing we had returned there, but only managed the one visit. Their roses are divine. Is it me or are our spring flowers blooming early this year? Already my crocuses and daffodils are past it, the tulips are beginning to open and the hyacinths are fading. I always associated March/April with daffodils and late April/May with tulips. At this rate all my spring blooms will have disappeared when spring has hardly begun!
I’m sure you’re right. Spring is earlier, though of course you benefit from a Cornish spring too. There were cowslips going full throttle on the A55 verges cross North Wales. And some of the rhododendrons were well over at Bodnant, daffodils on the turn too. Definitely worth serial visits there.
No rain in Wales, goodness the gods must have smiled on you!