Earlier this month, I paid my annual visit to Dyffryn Gardens, the delightful National Trust-run property and gardens just south of Cardiff in the Vale of Glamorgan.
I’ve been really busy the last few months with one thing or another (hence no blogging) and almost completely forgot about my annual visit. But as soon as I realised, I snuck in a trip before the summer was over and all the flowers were gone.
It was incredibly warm the day I visited (as it has been for much of the summer) and it was a glorious day for wandering around the gardens.
Dyffryn House, which I’ve visited many times before, was closed as the National Trust is currently carrying out vital conservation work on its stone exterior, so I only caught glimpses of it between the scaffolding and the tarpaulins.
Bypassing the house, I followed the path behind the house to the stone terraces (above), where I spent quite a bit of time photographing the various flowers that adorn this part of the gardens (below).
I then continued on to the lower walled garden, where I had a look around the fruit and vegetable patches (below).
A number of the plots were empty as they were in the process of being mulched, but I spied a few tasty-looking apples in the plots that were still in use (below).
Continuing through the walled gardens (below), I made my way inside the greenhouse that flanks the top wall.
The greenhouse is home to all manner of intriguingly-shaped cactii and succulents (below), and I always enjoy popping inside to see the wealth of unusual plants that grow here.
Having seen everything in the greenhouse, I continued ambling through the grounds until I reached my favourite garden, the Paved Court (below).
The floral displays in the Paved Court change each year and I always look forward to seeing what the gardeners have done with it. This year, I found a cheery and inviting riot of colour (above) that had quite a Mediterranean feel to it.
Next door lies the tranquil Reflecting Pool (above), which is centred around a huge pond filled with waterlilies and other aquatic plants. It teems with dragonflies in the summer and this year was no exception. It’s also home to some rather elusive newts.
Last year, I lamented the fact that I’d never seen one, despite my best efforts over the years. But this year, I was in luck and was taken aback to spot a newt peeking out from the lily pads (above) while I was photographing a dragonfly. I guess the trick is to not actually look for them.
Delighted I’d finally caught a glimpse of one of the coy amphibians, I continued on my merry way to tour the lower part of the gardens.
Following the path past the sundial (above), I cut across the wild meadows (below) before looping back to the gardens’ entrance via the arboretum.
As always, I enjoyed my visit to Dyffryn Gardens, but I especially enjoyed this year’s vibrant colour palette.
Last year, the gardens were laid out in muted shades, which seemed appropriate as we were still in the midst of the pandemic. But this year, it was nice to feel a sense of normality return and with it vivid floral displays of yellow, orange, purple and red.
If you’re interested in seeing how Dyffryn Gardens’ displays have changed over the years, you can take a look at my previous posts: 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016 and 2015.
Info
Dyffryn Gardens, St Nicholas, Vale of Glamorgan CF5 6FZ
£11 adults, £5.50 children
nationaltrust.org.uk/dyffryn-gardens
Little Old World 
Really nice place. Gardens such as this are oases. Neil S.
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They really are. It’s great having a garden like this on my doorstep
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Lovely place. I agree about the vibrant colours.
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