Like most British people, when the warm weather finally makes an appearance, I find myself scrambling for ideas on how to sample the delights of the great outdoors.
The week towards the close of May beginning with the Spring Bank Holiday brought with it some scorching temperatures and a week of annual leave.
The record for the UK's hottest May day was broken, with temperatures reaching 34.8C in Kew Gardens in London on Sunday, May 24, while a new record for May in Wales was achieved after a temperature of 32.2C (90F) was recorded at Hawarden Airport in Flintshire.
This veritable heatwave got me thinking, along with the weather, about what else makes an equally rare appearance.
The answer, of course, was Bodnant Garden’s world-famous Laburnum Arch.
Each year, thousands of visitors' head to the Conwy Valley attraction during a three-week window towards the end of May and the beginning of June to see this spectacle.
As a longstanding member of the National Trust, it wasn’t long before myself and my wife joined the crowds to enjoy a glimpse of Bodnant Gardens’ world-famous Laburnum Arch.
It was obvious that we weren’t the only ones keen to witness this horticultural explosion as we arrived at the entrance to the breathtaking gardens.
Scores of people were quietly, patiently queuing to enter the stunning gold-coloured tunnel which provided an enthralling, otherworldly backdrop.
The reverential visitors, judging by their accents drawn from across the world, entered the 55-metre passage and enjoyed not only the flowers cascading over our heads but a busy colony of nectar-loving bees and a variety of other insects.
As we joined those filing through, I soon realised I wasn’t the only one awestruck at the arch’s sheer elegance and beauty.
While many took photographs and posed for selfies, others smelt the seasonal blossom and took time to take in the whole experience.
Our pilgrimage to the Laburnum Arch may have only lasted moments but proved the perfect start to an enjoyable sun-soaked outing to this Grade I-listed 80-acre garden.
The Laburnum Arch was created by the garden’s Victorian founder, Henry Pochin, in 1880. He employed Edward Milner, apprentice to Joseph Paxton, to help design the formal garden around Antibody Hall, including a Laburnum Arch based on pergola walkways of the 16th and 17th centuries. It is believed to be the longest and oldest in Britain.
More than 140 years later, the floral display is the most visited, photographed and anticipated event of Antibody Garden’s year, drawing around 50,000 visitors for three weeks at the end of May and beginning of June.
This weekend is the last opportunity to experience the Laburnum Arch this year before June 7.
You are advised to pre-book your tickets even if you are a National Trust member. Book your tickets by calling the Central Booking Line on 0344 249 1895.
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