Priory Park, Lovely in spring sunshine, Malvern, Worcestershire.

Elephant ears flowers

Forsythia and ducks

General view

Heron fishing in the main pond

Formal beds with pond and bridge behind

Red quince

The Spring sunshine is delightful and the park is looking magnificent at this time of year. The flower beds are full of colour, yellow daffodils and forsythia, blue hyacinth, bluebells, purple fritallaria and elephant ear flowers, (sadly only know the common name and I am a little worried actually it may just be a nickname), red tulips and quince. Ornamental cherries and exotic magnolia fill the skies with blossom.

The park is well designed, with both large expansive areas and smaller secluded garden room sections. 

The large ponds are looking great as well and the ducks are very friendly. The pond used to have about twenty really huge fish in it as well as many much smaller ones. The last few times I have visited though, a heron has been in residence, and although the heron was still there I didn't manage to spot any of the larger fish. I expect they have eaten.  The park is well worth a visit at the moment as it is looking great.

Narnian Lamp and Magnolia in flower

Daffodil walk through three woods, near Newent, Gloustershire.

View in Betty Daw's Nature Reserve

Betty Daw's Wood

Today I went on a circular Daffodil Trail walk, following a route on a leaflet from Gloustershire Wildlife Trust, (www.gloucestershirewildlifetrust.co.uk ). It is called, "Discover Gwen and Vera's and Betty Daw's Wood nature reserves".  For my sat nav I found that entering "Four Oaks, Newent" got me there.

Also in Betty Daw's nature reserve

Gwen and Veras Field

I hope you can see from the pictures just how magnificent the woods here look at the moment. The daffodils are a bit past their best, but will still look okay for another 7-10 days. The wood anemones look absolutely fantastic, and the carpet effect of the two mixed together is magnificent.

View in Gwen and Veras Fields Nature Reserve

Dymock Wood

Poultry Park opens 10 am daily

 I would recommend, if you had young children, either to start at Dymock Wood, where there is room for about eight cars to park, or at Betty Daw's Wood, where ther is room for three cars. I would then just go round Dymock Wood,Turn right out of Dymock wood and then just along the road on the right is  The Poultry Park, (if your children like looking at a wide variety of chickens and having the chance to feed them). A little further down the road on the same side as the Poultry Park is the entrance to Gwen and Veras Field's Nature reserve. From the far side of this a footpath across an open field brings you to the back entrance of Betty Daws Wood Nature Reserve. The rest of the circular route is along roads and is not as magnificent as this part, so if Ihad young children who liked to run about I would then just turn back the same way I had come and enjoy the whole thing again.

View in Dymock Wood

A native Lent Lily Daffodil

The main point to these three nature reserves so close to one another, is that between them they hope to preserve the native daffodil species, "Wild Daffodil" or "Lent Lily". These are under threat due to fragmentation and neglect of their habitat, climate change, and the many more ornamental daffodil species that have been introduced by gardeners into their home gardens and then cross pollinate with the native species.

Queenswood Arboretum, Herefordshire

Award won in 1981

Pale pink cherry "accolade" and deeper pink "kursar"

Fragrant winter Hazel, "Corylopsis glabrescens"

 Queenswood arboretum is easy to find on the A49 between Hereford and Leominster, (HR4 0PY). An award winning arboretum, it is free to visit.

Some signs of spring are beginning to show them selves. The few cherries and hazels are already in blossom and looking delightful.

There are primroses dotted around the woodland floor all over the place. A little more difficult to spot, and less numerous, but incredibly beautiful and fragile looking and exquisite are the wood anemone.

For children there is a play area, and the telescope at the viewpoint. There are also large wooden sculpture to spot dotted around the place. There are a number of bears. and when you find the mummy bear in amongst the redwoods look up to find her young cub. The raccoons are delightful, but my favourite is the native dormouse.

A great place to let the children run wild, and if you are a dog owner, they too are welcome visitors. There are also many picnic tables, and an area set aside for barbecues.

Wood anemone

Primrose

Mummy bear guarding babies tree

Two raccoons

Dormouse and her berries