Our journey began in London with a visit to Chelsea Physic Garden. It is a favourite of mine, and I would recommend that anyone visiting London take the time to have a look. Established in 1673, this compact garden contains more than 4,500 medicinal, edible and useful plants, with something interesting tucked into almost every corner. A visit to Kew Gardens in the rain had us exploring for hours. We did over 22,000 steps and felt like we had the garden to ourselves.
We hired a car and travelled through Wales and north into Scotland, visiting a couple of gardens most days. We chose the scenic routes whenever possible, which often meant navigating some very narrow roads, but the magnificent scenery made it worthwhile. The Scottish Highlands were my favourite, with their seemingly endless mountains, lochs and winding roads revealing another beautiful view around every bend.
Garden highlights along the way
There were several garden highlights that we had not visited with our Perennial Poppies garden club or on previous trips.
Aberglasney Gardens, Carmarthenshire
In the Towy Valley in Wales. At the centre of the garden is a restored Elizabethan cloister garden, believed to be the only surviving example of its kind in the United Kingdom. The indoor subtropical Ninfarium was enchanting.
Bodnant Garden, North Wales
A large and very impressive garden. Sweeping lawns, formal terraces, woodland, water gardens and many magnificent old trees. It is also famous for its 55-metre-long Laburnum Arch, which had finished flowering when we visited, but the retained dead flowers still looked amazing.
Bolton Castle, North Yorkshire
The garden at this Wensleydale castle is not enormous, but it was particularly interesting to us because it included a dyer's garden and a medicinal herb garden.
Abbotsford, Scottish Borders
The formal gardens surrounding Sir Walter Scott's extraordinary home had wonderful herbaceous borders.
Branklyn Garden, Perth
A true collector's garden, packed with rare and unusual plants grown from seeds collected by early plant hunters. It is particularly well known for its collection of Himalayan blue poppies, and we were lucky enough to see some still flowering.
Poyntzfield Herb Nursery, the Black Isle
They have been growing herbs organically and biodynamically since 1976 and had an incredible range of plants, including many varieties that we cannot grow at home. The original owner's son, Finlay, is now running the nursery, and we were so pleased to have the opportunity to chat with him about herbs and the advantages and challenges of running a herb nursery.
Inverewe Garden, the Scottish Highlands
On the shore of Loch Ewe at Poolewe, Inverewe has an extensive collection of plants thriving in what appears to be such a wild and exposed location. The large curved walled garden stretched along the water's edge and contained rows of vegetables, fruit, flowers and roses. Woodland paths led us up and over the hillside to another bay, with beautiful views across the loch.
Wild Routes of Ireland
From Scotland, we travelled to Ireland and had a few days exploring the north through some beautiful coastal and mountain scenery. We then made our way south to join the Wild Routes of Ireland tour, which had been the main inspiration for the entire trip. After weeks of visiting wonderful gardens, the final ten days took us beyond cultivated plants and into Ireland's wild landscapes.
We spent our days identifying seaweed, exploring ancient forests with passionate local guides, sitting within ancient stone sites and drinking water from holy wells hidden deep in the woods.
We walked through the extraordinary limestone landscape of the Burren, which is home to an amazing diversity of plants, including species more commonly associated with alpine, Mediterranean and Arctic regions. We sat and sang beneath ancient trees, hugged a hawthorn believed to be more than 500 years old, and explored the wild herbs growing through meadows, woodlands, hedgerows and along the coast with knowledgeable herbalists and botanists.
We sat high on hillsides surrounded by picturesque views across mountains, lakes and valleys, gathering rushes and learning how to weave them into St Brigid's crosses. We visited ancient stone circles, sacred wells and places rich with folklore, where storytellers brought Ireland's legends and history to life.
There were plant walks through coastal landscapes, ancient yew woods and rare native oak forests. We learnt about plants grown for natural dyeing and watched them being transformed into beautiful colours. Our days were also filled with shared meals, laughter, music and the warm hospitality of the Irish people. One evening, we gathered in a small country pub for traditional music and a little dancing.
I went into the tour expecting the herbs to be the highlight, but I finished it in awe of the trees. Their age, strength, stories and presence left a deep impression on me. It was so much more than a tour. It was a journey through Ireland's plants, ancient landscapes, traditions and stories, shared with people who quickly became friends. We returned home with wonderful memories, new knowledge and a much deeper connection to this beautiful country.
Grá, grá, grá agus solas i mo chroí
Love and light in my heart
We said this line often after taking quiet time in nature, or when we were together in circle.
