Mount Edgecombe (23 April)

 Having a free morning we caught the ferry from Admirals Hard to Cremyll and walked around the country park.   I wondered if the bluebells were all out, but I have seen a better display in the past, so think they are not fully out yet.  The white flowers similar to bluebells were giving a white carpet, I hope they are not crowding the bluebells out.

We walked to the top of the park and then along the camelia trail.  On the way there were a couple of trees full of blossom and we also a pig and 10 piglets.  There were still quite a lot of camelias out.

Lost Gardens of Heligan (20 April)

We caught the train to St Austell then the bus to the Lost Gardens.  The journey itself is worthwhile, crossing the Tamar is memorable and the road to Heligan from St Austell follows the coast at one point. Usually you just get glimpses of the sea as you drive along, but today we were following a cyclist so going slower and I could capture the scene.

At the Lost Gardens there was a blossom trail to follow so we started walking around the upper gardens admiring all the camelias, rhododendrons, and other flowering trees.  Some of the rhododendrons had grown into trees.

In one of the walled gardens there was a bed of brightly coloured anenomies.

I particularly wanted to see the bluebells so after lunch we waled down the sunken lane to to the bottom lake.  There were lots of bluebells on the way down, but I think the display will be better in a week or two.

There were lots of other plants and flowers to admire in different parts of the gardens. In fact everywhere you looked there was something beautiful.

Killerton (19 April)

 On the way home from Sidmouth we stopped at the National Trust property, Killerton.  The wisteria growing around the house contrasted beautifully with the peach paintwork.

 There was lots of blossom on trees and the rhododendrons gave bright colours in the parkland. We had hoped to see bluebells, but they were just giving a blue haze rather than carpet as they were not all out.

There were some lovely flowers in the gardens, tall blue ones that looked like bluebells from a distance, unusual specimens and a spectacular peone.

Bicton Gardens (18 April)

 We were staying the night in Sidmouth and on the way stopped at Bicton Gardens.  The sun was shining and it was really beautiful.  As you walked into the gardens the formal beds leading down to the lake were full of colour 

There were a few bluebells out but the blossom on trees were spectacular.  The acers near the far lake gave a wonderful contrast.

We followed the nuthatch nature trail and at the bird hide watched many birds coming to feed.  In particular there were a couple of nuthatches.