I have never before visited a beautiful garden in the middle of a summer’s day and had it all to myself. That was what happened when I stumbled across Plas Brondanw, in North Wales, the beautiful garden created by architect Clough Williams-Ellis, famed for designing the quirky Portmeirion village, which attracts tens of thousands of tourists each year.

It was only by chance I learned about this botanical delight thanks to one my blog readers alerting me to it after I wrote about my planned visit to Portmeirion. Otherwise I would never have known about it, and I did not see any flyers about it locally.

At first we drove right by the entrance as we were looking for a car park, and there didn’t seem to be one. A beautiful gate painted in Mediterranean blue and sunshine yellow welcomed me.

From then on, I repeatedly drew my breath and gasped with pleasure at everything I viewed as I scanned each corner of this tranquil heaven on earth. I can only describe it as a romantic treasure, a jewel surrounded by soft, mountainous landscape, with stunning breathtaking vistas. I really didn’t want to leave. I wanted to walk the same paths and experience the exhilaration of these gardens with its ponds and orangery, flower borders and topiary. Whichever way you looked, the vast sky and soft mountains looked down on these gardens lovingly created by Clough who was given the house in 1908 at the age of 25 and wrote:

“It was for Brondanw’s sake that I worked and stinted, for its sake that I chiefly hoped to prosper. A cheque of ten pounds would come in and I would order yew hedging to that extent, a cheque for twenty and I would pave a further piece of terrace.”

Clough’s daughter, a lover of plants, created the famous Portmeirion Pottery, with its botanical theme. I can see why the garden so inspired her.

No wonder The Independent described it as one of the top ten recommended gardens to visit. Sadly few visitors make their way there, only around 1,000 – 1,500 a year, and 15,000 – 20,000 are needed to make it self-sufficient, as its dedicated gardener explains on this video.

I wish I had asked the gardener how long it took him to trim those stunning sculptured topiaries ….