Wednesday 3 February 2016

A Garden In Winter

No, not mine! There's nothing in mine apart from a few rather sad snowdrops amongst the moss and mud. So I went for a stroll around the University Botanic Gardens in Cambridge. 



What? Pay good money to see a garden in February? Surely there's nothing to see....


Well, the lake and rockery are always pretty whatever the season, particularly on a bright sunny afternoon like we enjoyed yesterday, even if flowers are few and far between. But what's this.....?



Some of the trees are already showing a little blossom. But there's something even better...



Although nobody ever seems to mention it, the Gardens have a wonderful display of snowdrops, not just the patch I'm showing you here but throughout the gardens. It's every bit as good as the snowdrop walks advertised by other gardens in England. And if it's chilly you can always warm up by visiting the tropical flowers in the glasshouses.



Spectacular colour is guaranteed at any season of the year. Occasionally you might find a little fungus taking advantage of the warm, moist micro-climate.



A few spectacular orchids were also making a show....



I'm always attracted by the structure of these tropical beauties....




Anyone who will be in Cambridge during the second half of February may be interested to know that there'll be an Orchid Festival taking place in the glasshouses, which should be worth a visit - and possibly a blog post if I manage to get there myself.


But none of this was what attracted me to the gardens this week. For although the University uses the gardens as a teaching and research facility, there's plenty of room for decorative and artistic horticulture too, and I was really on my way to see the winter garden. I'll show you in the next post.

Take care.



21 comments:

  1. What a treasure! You are so fortunate to live near such a beautiful place. Love the photos!

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  2. Great display! I love a botanical garden at any time of the year. My dad says aloes bloom in winter because they are from the southern hemisphere.

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  3. Orchids and snowdrops; two of my favorites.

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  4. I think I need snowdrops in my garden.............

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  5. Money well spent! Even a tightwad like me would pay good money to stroll around these gardens.

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  6. The flowers are so beautiful, but my favorite is that first shot. I totally love it.

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  7. I still can't believe that you have Snowdrops blooming in January! We won't see any here til early May!

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  8. Those colorful flowers made me smile. Thanks for sharing!

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  9. Absolutely beautiful shots -- spring is in your air -- barbara

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  10. I guess it is unusual to visit gardens in winter over there. Many of those plants grow in our gardens here all year but alas no snowdrops and I think they are beautiful.

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  11. Nothing beats the simple beauty of the snowdrop John does it? I love the hothouse flowers but would plump for the snowdrops any day.

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  12. What a beautiful garden - well worth a winter visit!

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  13. So wonderful to see flowers in winter. It's a beautiful garden any time of the year. Different things get to show off -- like the rock garden.

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  14. Love seeing all that color there. It's so wonderful after the bleak winter we've been having here in California. Although, now that I see the flowering buds on the trees there, it reminds me to take the camera and photograph the newest blossoms here.

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  15. Stark winter beauty and lush tropical flowers and greenery---beautiful collection. I visited there when in Cambridge to see the largest blooming flower, but, alas, it had wilted and was a sad sight. So much to see there always though.

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  16. Fantastic photography John and as always you manage to find treasures amid the gloom of winter

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  17. oh, what beautiful images! Like taking a stroll through the gardens myself. We have quiet a nice arboretum in town, at our university. I love to walk it in all seasons. Thanks for taking us along to Cambridge.

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  18. Your images show us the infinite creativity of Mother Nature when she created these flowers and plants.

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  19. I love glasshouses John, it's like walking into a tropical haven in the middle of winter as we see here.. but I also love a winter garden, if you look carefully there are always surprises to be found, apart from that j'adore winter tree skeletons.

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