Today there was the perfect opportunity to visit a park. It’s years since I’ve last been to this park, on the edge of our city centre. It’s small & today it was quiet, well at first. By the entrance on the street there’s a gorgeous tree full of pink blossom. The tree positively fizzes on this spring day. It’s a bit fresh & the sun is reluctant to make an appearance, but it’s lovely to simply wander round the circuit of the park.

There’s a toddler following us with a lady, I guess that’s his Mum. The lad is intent on kicking a small ball as he walks. He manages to stop the ball alongside us & shyly turns back to Mum. His footwork is to be praised, he would put many of today’s so called professionals to shame as he deftly dribbles the ball, keeping it well under control. I wonder if this is a regular pastime for this youngster. He continues past us & displays his skills. I am full of admiration for this lady who gives the lad time & encouragement to develop his skills in walking.

There are ample seats around the park, though sadly one has been vandalised. Today it’s a little chilly to sit in this open space, though one couple have chosen to stop a while. They are quickly joined by a blackbird, looking for crumbs. The birds around the park seem very tame.

There’s still a colourful display of daffodils & the promise of more to come as some earlier varieties begin to fade. I love seeing the trees begin to come alive after the long winter months. Places like Westonbirt would be great to visit, but here, right on my doorstep there is a selection of the most magnificent trees showing new life. I wish I knew the species of tree, but I’m ignorant in my knowledge of shape & form of tree life.

I love to see the leaves unfurl, as they coyly begin their display. Tender green shoots held tight until the moment when warmth & light encourage more to slowly be revealed.

There’s something special about spring. The freshness. Today I have noticed for the first time fresh green spikes emerging from the soil. These shoot up like arrows across a small patch of the garden. It’s been in the shade of a large berberis shrub for a very long time. Last year the shrub received a brutal pruning & the result is – the ground cover below has responded to the injection of sunlight. There is the promise of lily of the valley flowers to follow. Dozens of them. It’s an area near the house, in a shady corner where there’s also a welcoming seat. And when the flowers bloom, a little sunshine & warmth, then the perfume should be amazing. I can almost sense it, imagine the heady scent.

But it’s not just Lily of the Valley that is growing strongly. There is new growth & fresh green leaves from Vinca,….. This little plant has crept along the garden, seeking sunlight & is showing a few blue flowers. I hope they linger long enough t o merge with the pure white Lily of the Valley. Above ground the Berberis towers, despite our harsh pruning. The side of the shrub that had least cuts is producing flower. Those gorgeous bright orange bell like flowers that attract birds & bees alike. You can always tell when it’s a good year for flowers on the Berberis by the heavy buzz from bees that hone in on the plant!

Blue tits too seem to adore this shrub. I can never decide if it’s the flower that thy like to eat & whether I should be encouraging them or not!

There is something about the road I choose to walk along that takes me into the heart of our city. A residential road with a mix of housing. But it is the gardens that hold the appeal  & interest for me. I could happily spend my time browsing the gardens here than window shopping. The colour & variety in this small street is a delight.

Many years ago I discovered an amazing plant within these gardens. There was a blaze of spring colour that held my attention, drawing me closer. Beautiful pink blooms covered the wall of the house close to the front door. It’s not a shrub you often see in our area. A camellia & it was gorgeous. How it reminded me of holidays in the west country where the soil conditions lend it to acidic loving plants growing to perfection.

And today I discovered another gem tucked away in a garden, this time just inside the gate. The burst of colour  was hard to resist. Another camellia. The blooms are full, similar to full cupped roses. And as spring unfolds this injection of colour comes as a delight & surprise in perhaps the most unlikely places.

Suddenly the bareness of winter has passed & the trees are beginning to be dressed in their spring finery. A visit to the supermarket means

Yesterday I had an amazing time at Chew Valley Lakes. I discovered an area that provided me with a different view of the lake – a whole new perspective.

A few fishermen were out on the lake, otherwise it was just me, my companion & the wildlife. The stillness & peacefulness in complete contrast to the popular picnic sites that were buzzing with people, children & dogs. I confess I found the noise & dogs encouraged to run off lead intrusive on my day & space. I come here to enjoy the place, scenery. To soak up some sunshine & connect with nature. I left the picnic sites feeling frazzled. I am not fishing so perhaps I am intruding here, but the silence draws me in, I long to linger.

Part of the fun of visiting gardens is to enjoy the flowers & look at them in more detail. It’s not just me that found the flowers here of interest!

It’s a year since I first visited NT Tyntesfield. That was an amazing time of discovery. Today I’m back again simply to take a wander through the grounds, visit the rose garden & enjoy the big blowsy dahlias by the kitchen garden.

Tickets for the house are sold out by the time I reach the entrance point. The girl is most apologetic, but it’s not a problem – the sun is shining  & hopefully so are those dahlias!

Come with me if you will. We shall take the path down to the house & rose garden. The view is breathtaking. The trees provide welcome shade for families & couples sitting on the lawn enjoying picnics or simply the beauty of their surroundings.

Insects adore plants like this & if you look closely the flower top left has a bee sat on the flower! It’s a tall architectural statement plant – it looks at home in the border here, but I confess, as a gardener it’s not something I like. As a keen photographer though I think it makes an excellent subject!

The colours in this border are more to my taste. I love the combination of the pinks & blues. I think it’s a mallow at the back, tall & double pink – I could happily have that one in my garden!

This image is from the rose garden, but I love it for the acer that makes a great focal point. The planting here is softer, with great grasses – I cannot resist tactile plants! Sunlight plays on the grasses, they seem to dance & play in the brightness, swaying gently. I would love to be here early in the day, or perhaps later when visitors are homeward bound & simply enjoy the peace, solitude.

Tomorrow I will continue our walk around the estate, but for now I will linger a while here in the rose garden.

Today it’s a proper summer’s day. Gorgeous wall to wall sunshine & I am stuck indoors after the supermarket shop! But I can still escape & watch the world through my kitchen window. Here in my tiny garden there’s a blackbird, a boy. He’s busy scooping up crumbs. In the top corner of the garden there’s a shadow, a young blackbird. “Dad” pops up & deposits the food store on the grass, then he disappears. It seems we are the bird day care nursery!

It’s fun watching this young bird explore the garden, test the crumbs he’s been left. He’s even ventured to sifting through the soil though I don’t know if he’s too certain of what is treasure & what is worthless in food value!

There’s another bird now on the wall, collecting food. This one is mum, she seems a young, perhaps first time mum. She came yesterday with her youngster. I imagine this is her young bird sat in the corner. She sits quietly, completely still, watching, waiting, but I am uncertain what it is she has seen. Once she has her food, she takes flight across the garden. Clearly this little bird is not her responsibility! While I’m in the kitchen I watch “Dad” blackbird return to his offspring a few times. I wonder how far he goes, does he maintain a watchful eye on junior?

So my trail continues… Everyone tends to associate Westonbirt with autumn colour, but I found plenty of stunning colour on my wander through the old arboretum.  The flower from this tree looks much like honeysuckle. I love the colour, how could I pass by without stopping to enjoy this close up & capture the image to look at again?

Hydrangeas are looking good this summer, maybe because of the damp start to our summer!  Here there’s a good selection in different colours. In my garden they flower pink – the soil isn’t suited to bring out those gorgeous blue shades. I love this one – the way the flower is shedding onto the leaves. I call this my fairy dust bush! The individual flowers are very simple & the colour of the sterile flowers so pretty. I wish I had a garden large enough for a bank of these shade lovers.

I couldn’t resist this tight flower bud! It’s a really vibrant shade that looked even brighter in the mid day sunshine. And when it opens the colour will be so very different – others on this shrub were blue.

Back to leaves & this is one I cannot resist. It’s a rhododendron with the most amazing leaves. The photo doesn’t do justice to the colour. The underside of the leaves is a rusty shade of red with a furry texture. I could happily live with this plant in my garden (if I had the space) just for the architectural leaf pattern. I adore plants that are tactile!

Coming to the end of my trail I found this plant. Again it’s the leaf & stunning colour that caught my attention. It might be exciting to take the new walkway & look down on the trees, have your head up in the clouds, but I like to keep my feet firmly on the forest floor, be down among the trees where I can get up close, really experience being part of the arboretum. I had an amazing time at Westonbirt & came away with lots of photos to enjoy my visit again & again!

It’s forty years ago that I first came to Westonbirt. Like most people I came to see the startling autumn colour. Today there’s still plenty of colour, especially if you stop & look closely. The seasonal info board tells you what plants & trees to look out for & even provides a map reference to help you spot them! Funny, but many of the people on the old arboretum trail don’t seem to be using a map.

I like the unusual, something a little different…

This tree reminds me of Christmas decorations – lots of baubles dangling from the branches. I couldn’t resist reaching up to touch the seeds that felt soft. It’s a bladder nut tree, which spoilt my idea of Christmas a little! But I cannot resist touchy feely trees & shrubs….

This tree looks amazing & it’s huge! This is just a small section of the tree, a smoke bush. With the sun on it I think it adds to the effect. This will always be my candyfloss tree!

Do you remember doing bark rubbings as a child?  I think we used wax crayons to rub over paper to create a copy of the texture. Perhaps it’s my second childhood but I lingered by this tree simply to run my hands over the bark, feel the texture. It felt dry, like it should be brittle, but look up to the amazing height of the branches! Suddenly I felt really tiny standing beside this tree.

I love the colour of these seeds, they are stunning & really stand out against the assorted shades of green all around. How can people walk by & not spot these decorative gems? I think this is a maple, but the seeds resemble sycamore in their shape because the trees are related.

Now this tree isn’t very pretty but I love the outline. Looking up to the tree top it appears to be bent. So what caused it? I like to imagine the tree touched the sky so high has it grown, now it has to bend a little – the sky really is the limit!! Perhaps it’s how the tree grows, maybe the top is so light it simply bends in the breeze, but I like my version best.

For me this is what makes my personal trail through the trees special – spotting the detail, quirky, having fun, but learning too about this amazing place & some of the very special trees that grow here. It always takes us longer than the recommended time allowance to complete our walk. I have a tendency to wander off the path, investigate a shrub, spot  fungi, maybe a blackbird or two. Tomorrow I will share the rest of my trail including pockets of colour.