It was a day of two halves – first a national collection of ferns looked after by Tim, supported by his partner Pete, and then on to a much larger garden started by the current owners father over 40 years ago.

We assembled in the only car park in the village of Llandewi Brefi, to car share along the narrow lanes to Delfryn. We were warmly greeted by Tim & Pete, who had met on a GOC walk many years ago. Their lovely dogs, Pip and Jessie, were also very friendly. Coffee and delicious cake, served in their homely cottage, was first on the agenda, before heading out to the garden. And what a garden it is. Tim guided us around his national collection of harts tongue ferns. There are no shortage of rocks in their garden, so Tim has created a separate bed for almost every plant, to display them at their best. The rest of their lovely garden is mainly cared for by Pete, which we also enjoyed exploring. It is set on a hillside with lovely views and has a wide range of interesting plants and garden features. All too soon, it was time to say goodbye, thanking them for their hospitality.

It was then a drive through the lush Ceredigion countryside to Cae Hir, our second garden, where lunch awaited. Again warm welcomes all round and with the sun shining on the patio, we enjoyed delicious food served up by Julie and her mum. It was Julie’s Dad, Wil, descended from a long line of Dutch horticulturalists, that started the garden the early 1980s, It is now lovingly cared for by Julie and her brother Stuart. The story of its creation is as interesting as the garden itself – from wheel barrowing the stones from a nearby ruined cottage, to procuring many of the plants from their Dutch cousins. Long sweeping lawns are surrounded by beds and borders, all filled with a mix of herbaceous and woody plants. You are taken on a journey, with many surprises and unusual features. It has a sense of fun, and we all enjoyed exploring the different areas.

And then it was time for more coffee and cake! Although some of us had not met before, having spent such an interesting day in each other’s company meant that words flowed easily as we chatted happily about what we had seen.

Soon it was time to say our goodbyes, leaving with happy memories and a sense of a day well spent.

Many thanks to those to came along.