Get the look – Bodnant Garden

What are the keys to success with Bodnant's planting style?

We believe in planting things en masse that grow well in the landscape – plants that are suited to the heavy soil, rocky terrain and cool, wet weather of North Wales. We've found that many Asian plants thrive here, such as rhododendrons and magnolias.

The garden also grows some more unusual South American plants, like the Chilean Fire Bush. This eye-catching plant will over-winter in milder areas of the UK, or makes a great plant for a conservatory in colder regions.

What are some of Bodnant's star plants that readers could grow?

Bodnant’s signature plants include the rhododendrons, for which the garden is now famous, as well as the smaller herbaceous Himalayan primulas, poppies and lilies. You’re never very far from the sound of water at Bodnant, so add a pool or water feature for that quintessential Bodnant mood.

What are your tips for growing these plants?

Many of the plants for which Bodnant is famed need acid soil conditions to thrive, such as the rhododendrons and blue hydrangeas. You can buy kits to test the pH of your garden's soil, and if you don't have acid soil you can grow acid-loving plants in large containers filled with ericaceous compost. These plants also benefit from feeding with a fertiliser specifically designed for ericaceous plants.

The iconic meconopsis (Blue Himalayan Poppy) is notoriously difficult to grow, but if you have the right conditions and enough perseverance, it’s worth the work and the wait. Meconopsis do best in moist, acid soil, in a partially shaded spot.

Visit Bodnant Garden

Bodnant Garden is taking part in our 2-for-1 Garden Entry scheme 2021. Find out more about how to use your discount to visit the garden. June is an ideal time to visit the garden, while the rhododendrons and the garden's famous laburnum archway are in flower.

For more information about the garden, visit the Bodant Garden website.