Bristol Botanic Gardens - A first Visit

 Bristol University Botanic Gardens are not too far away, but it takes an effort, we thought to go by public transport but I don't think we could have done it easily. My dearly beloved drove us there a few days ago and now we know the route down through Bristol Gorge avoiding the City Centre, I predict that this will be the first of many visits.  There is so much to take in and admire, from these well laid out gardens, including all the botanic and evolutionary information forming the basis of the their collections.  We were given a small plan however next time I must see if there is a more detailed guide or book. Meanwhile their website is worth spending some time reading. I found for example a great post on bluebells. We were so enthralled that I did not really focus on taking many pictures or notes, realising that there will be further visits and more opportunities for that.

On entry we couldn't be more amazed by the setting with the many mature oak trees on the periphery, but the large pool, where later the Marliac Hybrid waterlilies will be flowering, formed a central point around which many collections were grouped. 

We  spent quite some time looking at the rock garden with plants from close to us such as the Cheddar Pink, rockroses from Brean Down, Alliums and Whitebeams.  I realise I have probably been out looking for the Cheddar Pink far too late. 

The plant evolution walk starting with liverworts and mosses, ferns and horsetails, and trees ferns found Mr S captivated. We happened to do the walk in the wrong direction, going back in time as it were!

We ambled along the beds finding much to enthral, such as emerging dragon flies in the pool by the Angiosperm Phylogeny collection.

The Mediterranean section of the gardens as well as their website gives some valuable details on plants in those zones.  As well as having visited them, I am using the theme in the front garden to use plants that will tolerate that hot dry sloping aspect. I was delighted to come across a large clump of  Lathyrus aureus, to give me an idea of what the plant looks like.  A friend gave me a small piece of this plant a couple of weeks ago and it is destined to go in the front Mediterranean style front garden.

In the Tropical and Sub-tropical sections of the glasshouses and was delighted to recognize various plants from my childhood garden and also the Pamplemousse Botanic Gardens, which was the name of the gardens when I visited very frequently, I particularly liked working visiting when I was acting as my father's little field assistant during the school holidays.

A few names of interesting forms of succulents were noted of course.  I rather liked the form of this Aeonium goochiae which would contrast nicely with my other aeoniums! A few are on the wish list, but I may well have to wait but looking for suppliers or waiting to see them in the flesh and for sale that is the question!

  

A few of the blooms found on the floor from the Jade vine made their way home, reminding me of the pergola dripping with the flowers in my friends garden,  in the same way as people have wisteria growing in England.  There were and still are in my eyes such a strange and 'unnatural' colour with turquoise blooms and silver.

For those on a tight budget and can visit on a Wednesday there is an option of paying less than the current £9 or maybe like us have the Gardeners World two for one ticket.  Although the coffee was excellent, and I would buy a drink in their café, next time I would take a snack and spend more time in the gardens.