Stunning Kew Gardens - A Family Day Out

Wakehurst is a wild botanic garden on the High Weald of West Sussex, and it has over 500 acres of beautiful ornamental gardens, woodlands and a nature reserve. As soon as I looked at the website, I knew it would be perfect for a family day out. The previous post contains my preparations for the trip, with details about make-up and hairstyle, and this time I will take you on a tour of the grounds with Rosie. If you decide to visit this gem of a garden, this is what you will encounter.

So we set off on our first longer family trip. Wakehurst is located about an hours drive from where we live.

As soon as you walk in, you are asked if you'd like to have a guided tour of the grounds. As Andy was planning to take photos, and also because we like to wander at our own pace, we carried on on our own. There are exhibitions, projects, a Milennium Seed Bank - its vital mission is to conserve 25% of the world’s plant species by 2020. Many trees have been planted by members of the royal family over the last 100 years.

In the middle of the park, on the shore of a beautiful lake, there is a 16th century, Elizabethan Mansion with a gallery and beautiful paintings. As we were walking to the lake, ducks followed us. Actually, they followed us everywhere...

The mansion is simply breathtaking. As if it is not picturesque enough, it has a walled garden at the back.

Rosie really liked the flowers!

There is a long walkway with streams, lakes, a Pinetum and collections of different trees. There is so much to see!

We have noticed Rosie loves plants and nature. Even though it seems as if she is going to tear the flower apart, she never does. She just holds on to it, and we taught her to let go; never has she done any harm to any of our flowers.