Exbury, 1

Friends Howard and Jenni put us on to Exbury when we asked them about notable gardens in their area apart from the National Trust houses and gardens we normally visit. "Notable" hardly does justice to Exbury, and, apart from the huge national botanical gardens we have visited, it is the best garden we have yet seen. A word or two of explanation are in order. We are rhododendron fans and are happiest in the spring in any of the British gardens that have incorporated them. Lionel Rothschild, the founder of Exbury, was a rhododendron aficionado and fashioned this vast landscape to feature his favorite plants; sparing no expense, too.  Yes, we know that British garden purists don't share our preferences. But we're neither gardeners nor garden connoisseurs; we just know what we like. So prepare to see a whole lot of rhododendrons in this and succeeding posts...in vistas, lanes, trails, rooms, water features, and so on...

Champion trees here and there too