Between Christmas and New Year, I received my last Christmas present - a year's membership of the RHS from Mum and Dad, which gives me free garden access to the RHS four (soon to be five) gardens in the UK, plus 190 partner gardens around the UK. I also get monthly magazines, free offers and garden advice - if I ring a special number, I get free garden advice. How cool is that?! Having been in possession of my card for less than a week, I determined to visit as many gardens as I could within the year and so I started on 2 January!
On a very cold, but beautifully clear and sunny, day, I headed to Fairhaven Woodland and Water Garden, located about five miles from my house, but which I'd never visited before. Obviously, not a lot going on floral-wise, although there were plenty of buds on the rhododendron and azaleas, but it was still a beautiful place to visit, and of course I plan to go back later in the year when there'll be more going on.
This is where I had a lightbulb moment - and finally recognised the difference between apical and axillary buds!
