Erddig.

 Sitting on a dramatic escarpment above the winding Clywedog river, Erddig tells the 250 year story of a gentry family’s relationship with its servants. A large collection of servants’ portraits and carefully preserved rooms capture their lives in the early 20th century, while upstairs is a treasure trove of fine furniture, textiles and wallpapers.

Outdoors lies a fully restored 18th century garden, with trained fruit trees, exuberant annual herbaceous borders, avenues of pleached limes, formal hedges and a nationally important collection of ivies.

Lime.green Magnolias at Bodnant.

 

The magnolia trees at Bodnant look as beautiful in September as they do when they are in flower. The leaves look spring like their colour is so fresh and bright.

The Kitchen Garden at Bridgewater.

The Kitchen Garden at Bridgewater has really developed since the garden opened.

Copper on Origano

These little butterflies are incredibly photogenic. For the last three years my best butterfly pictures have been of these little guys.Taken at Chirk Castle.

Chirk Castle - Inner Court Yard

 

Started in the late 13th century, Chirk Castle was never planned as a family home. Instead, it was one of several medieval Marcher fortresses along the Welsh-English border, built to keep the Welsh under English rule. 

The White Garden.

 

The White Garden  at Bodnant was created by head gardener Troy Scott-Smith in 2014.

Carneddau ponies

 The Carneddau Mountain range in the Snowdonia National Park is home to a small population of around 300 semi-feral Carneddau ponies whose history is thought to date back to the Bronze Age. Although they are not designated as a rare breed, they are genetically distinct from the Welsh Mountain pony and carry genes specifically related to hardiness and waterproofing.