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| Exbury Azalea Bowl |
Exbury, glorious at any time of the year, reaches its peak of beauty in an explosion of colour, scent and birdsong from the end of the April through May.
The Glory of the Garden is celebrated for one month, starting on April 26, just as the primroses, early magnolias and camellias give way to an incredible burst of colour from azaleas, rhododendrons and bluebells.
More than twenty miles of ‘technicolor pathways’ through the Azalea Bowl mean that visitors to world-famous Exbury often stay in the Gardens for up to five hours at this time of the year.
“The special qualities of the garden in late spring, plus an increasing awareness of our rare tree collection mean that people really are making a day of it,” said Exbury’s head gardener, tree expert John Anderson. John and his team continue to show Exbury’s magnificent blooms at RHS shows and have again this year virtually swept the board with prizes. All these flowers may be seen in a walk through the gardens.
Other attractions at Exbury include a wonderful art show from Four Seasons Artists in the Gardens’ Five Arrows Gallery with paintings, etchings, prints, cards and sculpture for sale. All the work is based on flowers, plants and the natural world.
There are more than 20 miles of pathways and hidden surprises, making a visit to Exbury a peaceful and relaxing experience. An even more relaxing way of exploring the garden is courtesy of the chauffeur driven buggy tours, while visitors who take the steam train will see parts of the garden that others don’t reach.
The ride on the Garden Railway takes in the naturalistic Summer Lane Garden, created especially for the rail line. During the Glory of the Garden period a new railway engine will arrive at Exbury to join Rosemary and Naomi, the existing engines.
“Exbury is a garden for all seasons,” said John Anderson. “But it should not be missed during May – it really shows off the glory of the garden”. |
