Winter gardens

On the way home from Cardiff we stopped to visit the National Botanic Garden of Wales, a marvellous place that I've only once been to before although it's not far away. It was a millennium project created on the footprint of a once grand Regency house and its landscaped estate, long fallen into disuse. The vistas are stunning, across undulating park land, walled gardens, lakes  and slopes with views to distant woods and hills. Many of the original buildings have been rehabilitated and are complemented by architecturally-striking new buildings including the largest single-span greenhouse in the world.
On a still clear winter's day with gleams of sunshine highlighting the bare trees and the stands of dry grasses, and with very few people around, the place was especially magical.

One of the buildings is devoted to herbal medicine which was especially strong in this part of Wales (Carmarthenshire) where the legendary  Lady of the Lake  initiated a dynasty of local medical practitioners whose fame spread far and wide for 500 years. Their remedies were recorded in The Red Book of Hergest which can still be consulted today.  
The exhibits included a collection of needlework samplers on plants and their properties, with names in Latin, Welsh and English, sewn by individuals and groups, each one different in style and materials. Pictured here are Henbane, Traveller's Joy, Wild Strawberry, Enchanter's Nightshade, Ribwort Plantain and Sea Holly. There were many more.

Extra pics show son Huw with sea horse (merhorse?) in Portcawl, en route, and in an avenue of silver birches at the Garden.