Araluen

It'd been a month since we'd last had a Sunday outing, so last weekend we set off with daughter and granddaughter for a Spring outing at Araluen.

Araluen is a Botanical Park set on 60 hectares in the valley of Roleystone, and each Spring it blooms with tulips, daffodils, bluebells, poppies, pansies and many more, as well as the established rhodedendrums, azaleas, camelias, magnolias and blossom trees.

There's a swiss log cabin "Chalet Healy" for devonshire teas and light lunches, walks around the lakes, and the Grove of the Unforgotten.

It's a magical day picnicing amongst the flowers, and a wonderful place for families to enjoy a day together.

I just adore bulb flowers and can't get enough of them.  In our climate its often hard to grow them, but in the hills the temperature is cooler in winter and the soil more hardy, and the flowers grow well.

But I have to admit this years display was a little disappointing from previous years, due to lack of funding and a very dry winter with little rain.

This years flowers were amazing, but in the past I've seen them in greater abundance and been mesmerised by their colour and beauty.

Whenever I get stuck for a colour scheme in my design work I turn to Mother Nature - in one single flower you can get the most amazing colour combinations.

Bluebells are my all-time favourite flower, but poppies come a close second.

I took over 250 photos and have selected just a few to share with you.

I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.

Even though you can't smell the scent of this magnolia I can assure you it was heavenly.

I went home full of the joys of Spring.