Spring on the Conwy

Last weekend, I discovered a hidden gem in North Wales. It's as much a well-kept secret as it is a well-kept garden. Nestled on a tributary of the River Conwy near Tal-y-cafn, Bodnant must surely be one of Wales' largest and most pristine estates open to visitors.

Spring was in the air last weekend at Bodnant - and so too was a cloud of yellow daffodils, with brash golden trumpets held aloft on lemony petals. (Fun fact: scientists now reckon the trumpet of a daffodil is not related to the petals, but is a new organ, a corona, as found in Passiflora spp. (passion flower)).

The fields of yellow daffodils were an inspiration. They even inspired another visitor to don her own corona. 

One of the most exciting things about Bodnant was its setting. You can visit gardens all over and many have stunning backdrops - from my own favourite, Lyme Park, you can see moorland and green rolling hills; but rarely will you find a hinterland quite so dramatic as the mountains of Snowdonia before Bodnant.

Another things I loved was that, in spite of the lateness of Spring, there was still plenty to see. Manicured roses were pruned and trained in vast swathes along the walls of the formal garden, (I hope) ready to charm visitors with heady aromas come Summer.

In fact, wherever I looked I found surprising beauty in kempt Winter-ready hibernating plants. The Wisteria, still not quite in bud in mid-April, wrought its twisting, gnarly form over the historic fountain (which I think they're hoping to restore this year).

In Manchester, even in April it feels like we're in the depths of Winter: I've found climate is the only guage for season and we're left distinguishing one type of rain from another. Here in Bodnant, however, the garden heralded Spring wherever you looked. Magnolias (ignorant of paint charts in back bedrooms) were in full bloom, and the rhodies were beginning to show their colour, too.

Of course, weathering all seasons, the lichens crept on...

And in the dell, Lysichiton americanus (American skunk cabbage) grew rampant amid the hue of fallen petals. It would give the impression of some romantic alien jungle (if it weren't for the occasional skunky smell!)

What struck me about Bodnant was the sheer scale. If Lyme Park seems big, Bodnant is huge! When the National Trust took over the 80 acre site, they opened only a fraction of this to visitors. Since then, over half has been made accessible - and staggeringly, this whole area is not just accessible, but preened and manicured. 

I have a couple of dates in the diary to return to Bodnant, and am looking forward to seeing it develop through the year - watch this space!

Profile of a place: Malaga's Alcazaba

When I toured around the towns of Andalucia in October, I saw my fair share alcázares (castles) - not least the Alcázar of Seville and the Alhambra of Granada. These stone-built strongholds are reminders of the moorish hegemony of Andalucia that lasted right through to the late 15th century and makes the cultural history of the region so rich. 

It's hard not to be wowed by the Alhambra: set atop a rocky mass with the snowy peaks of the Sierra Nevada as its backdrop, the complex of fortifications, palaces and pleasure gardens certainly demands praise. It's not just a feat of engineering, but also a testament to the power of art and architecture to represent dominion.

The Alhambra and the peaks of the Sierra Nevada

However, it was the Alcazaba (or citadel) of Malaga that stood out to me above all the rest. Although I'd hopped straight off a plane from cool, dank England and found myself 16° further south and probably 16°C warmer, my appreciation of the Alcazaba can't just be put down to start-of-holiday wonderment. 

After all, the Alcazaba is the best-preserved citadel of its kind in Spain, let alone Andalucia. Sited on a rocky outcrop beside Malaga's historic town centre and forefronted by the exposed remains of a Roman arena, the myriad walls and towers of the Alcazaba don't just represent great architectural beauty, but also a rich history of medieval war defence. Within the outer citadel's massive entry fortifications is a labyrinthe of inner walls and towers complex enough to confuse the enemy, if nothing else.

Looking up to the Alcazaba - you can see the Roman arena in the foreground.

... and looking down again!

However, the walls create splendid enclosures, containing moorish patios, trees, herbaceous borders and formal gardens. Unlike the rain-soaked bare remains of some of our own castles, the protective walls of the citadel make Malaga's Alcazaba a veritable haven for plants - and so too for botanists. The exposed dry rock at the base of the citadel is home to delicious succulents from sedum-like critters to full-blown cacti. Further into the garden there are mossy, ferny niches where it's moist enough, and well-protected spaces where tropical plants thrive. If there's interest in diversity, then the range of microclimates and the variety of growing things at Malaga's Alcazaba can only be described as fascinating. 

A type of Hottentot fig?

Tropical colour: palms and orange trees line the approach to the Torre del Cristo.

For me, though, the most exciting thing about the Alcazaba was the interplay between the labyrinthine moorish fortifications and the formal historic gardens. The route through the citadel takes the visitor through a series of impressive arches; each of these frames a vista or teases the visitor with anticipation and intrigue. Arches open onto impressive formal gardens containing pagodas hung with jasmine, or lead onto pathways, expediting the visitor to the next amazing view. Water flows cleverly around the garden in channels, cooling and yet also contributing to a sense of movement around the garden. My photos really don't do it justice.

 

In a nutshell, what excited me most about the Alcazaba was that it's a perfect example of how to create movement and intrigue in a space and leave visitors wanting more. I never thought I'd say it, but if there's anywhere in Andalucia I'd love to revisit, it's Malaga, thanks to its Alcazaba!