Garden TOUR
GARDEN TO VISIT
Aberglasney, one of the finest gardens in Wales, features an alpinum made up of miniature wonders
Saved from dereliction and the danger of being forgotten, the mansion at Aberglasney in Carmarthenshire is now a heritage treasure and its gardens, all 20 of them, a paradise for plant lovers. Thanks to an extensive restoration project, which was followed through the BBC’s AGarden Lost in Time programme, visitors can now appreciate many of the estate’s significant and unparalleled features.
In March, it’s the diminutive wonders growing in the Alpinum that are vying for attention. Constructed into a hill to appreciate the beauty of dwarf and alpine specialities, the Alpinum is a horticultural world in miniature filled with everything from bulbs, to shrubs and trees. Its top half is now home to a stumpery of ferns and woodland treasures, while the lower half is devoted to alpine and rockery plants. Of course, plants are the stars, but it’s worth looking closely at the limestone selected from a local quarry to spot fossil invertebrates held forever in the stone.
The tiered raised beds and different levels of the Alpinum make for a selection of joyous views. Along the side, the green and fertile Towy Valley opens out into the distance. Approaching from the Upper Walled Garden brings bright blooms at eye level. Pale blue scilla and iris in shades of blue, yellow and purple can be admired close-up allowing full appreciation of their intricate and beautifully patterned flowers.
Plum-coloured iris ‘J.S. Dijt’ also has a sweet fragrance adding to its spring-time charm and a great choice for growing in window boxes. Another performer, with its pink, star-shaped flowers, is glory of the snow (chionodoxa) whose variety name ‘Pink Giant’ belies the fact that it grows to a height of just 20cm.
Compact shrubs, at more than 20 years old, have retained their miniature stature. Holly ‘Dwarf Pagoda’ has tightly packed stems making it perfect for rockeries or small garden spaces, while evergreen yew ‘Green Column��
