Horticultural delights....

The school holidays have another two weeks to roll, and anyone living in proximity of the M25 could do no better than motor to Bullmoor Lane, (Enfield, North London) where you will find the entrance to Capel Manor Gardens. For the princely sum of £6 pp, (family tickets and concessions available), outdoors’ aficionados will have a ball, blazing a trail about the myriad horticultural delights created by the students of Capel Manor College.

Over 60 separate gardens, the brochure says. Well, I lost count of the vistas of wonder that we worked our way past; a Japanese garden, an Australian garden, a garden filled with spooky trompe l’oeil, numerous rose gardens, lavender gardens and well, just gardens. Jaded with blossoms, we explored the miniature zoo (animals to watch for include meerkats, marmosets and humans), the woodland walk, the fairy forest, the temple lake, the holly maze and much, much more. Around every corner, a surprise that will leave you laughing aloud hits the eyes; broken statues sunken in the earth, enticing building facades that prove to be shams and cute little ponies – is there any other kind? - that turn out to be real. Our mistake was arriving too late in the day to see everything – don’t you do that. Amenities include a cafe, and picnic areas and loos at intervals. Essential for enthusiasts of gardens, of life, and of the weird and wonderful – do not miss! https://www.capelmanorgardens.co.uk