Isabella Plantation

This morning it was forecast to be sunny so I decided to go visit Isabella Plantation in Richmond Park. This is a 40 acre woodland garden consisting of many species of azaleas, it is a site of special scientific interest and has received much funding from lottery funds to increase biodiversity and improve access. 

I always get confused where to park when I go to Richmond Park, as since the pandemic they have closed some roads through the park and so I could not remember which car park to go to. I ended up parking in the wrong car park, and had over an hour's walk across the park to get to Isabella Plantation. It wasn't sunny, which perhaps is better when photographing these colourful flowers, particularly the reds which I find difficult to photograph. Xena loved her walk across the park and was very well behaved - she was off the lead but when we got near deer or the water birds she would let me put the lead on her without running off. In the extras you can see her sitting in front of an azalea, I let the lead go for the photo, and she was being particularly well behaved here as there were some ducks walking nearby (which she is looking at) and her gundog instincts must have been in overdrive at this point!

It ended up being a long walk today, I finally got back to the car at 1pm and I went home for lunch. 

Tonight I am going to London as I am joining Gavin at a work dinner, so I need to get ready and go get the train.