We spent a very enjoyable afternoon at Butterfly World yesterday. The landscaping is really interesting, although the drive in is almost the best bit, with the sides of the drive crammed with wildflowers of every conceivable size and colour.
The different areas within are full of some really original design features, and the Future Gardens show that is currently on showed a range of interesting garden designs (obviously, none of them quite as good as our design which wasn't selected). The show is more interesting than Chelsea or any of the other weekend/week long shows, as the future garden exhibits remain open to the public for several months, so they have to be properly designed, constructed and planted. None of the old 'stick some screwed up newspaper under the pot until after the judging'.
By now, it is obvious which gardens have fared well, but the whole site is still in a period of transition, which is not to say that it isn't a great day out. But what struck me is that the ambitious plans for an enormous dome seemed like a big venue just for butterflies.
Then we went into the modestly sized tropical butterfly house. The effect of being surrounded by the most beautiful butterflies fluttering from flower to flower was really profound. Everyone had a smile on their faces as they watched the little (and not so little) flashes of iridescent colour gliding and diving around. I really hope the whole project is a success, and I wish them well.
The different areas within are full of some really original design features, and the Future Gardens show that is currently on showed a range of interesting garden designs (obviously, none of them quite as good as our design which wasn't selected). The show is more interesting than Chelsea or any of the other weekend/week long shows, as the future garden exhibits remain open to the public for several months, so they have to be properly designed, constructed and planted. None of the old 'stick some screwed up newspaper under the pot until after the judging'.
By now, it is obvious which gardens have fared well, but the whole site is still in a period of transition, which is not to say that it isn't a great day out. But what struck me is that the ambitious plans for an enormous dome seemed like a big venue just for butterflies.
Then we went into the modestly sized tropical butterfly house. The effect of being surrounded by the most beautiful butterflies fluttering from flower to flower was really profound. Everyone had a smile on their faces as they watched the little (and not so little) flashes of iridescent colour gliding and diving around. I really hope the whole project is a success, and I wish them well.
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