Rhododendrons in Bushy Park

If you ask people where the best place to see rhododendrons in south west London is a good many of the responses will be Isabella Plantation in Richmond Park. I'll be the first to tell you it is worth a visit and not just for these seasonal blooms. However those in the know will direct you to the other side of the River Thames. Situated away from the tourist trap that is Hampton Court Palace is Bushy Park.

Out of all the eight Royal Parks Bushy Park is the second largest but probably one of the least heard of unless you are into the Saturday morning phenomenon that is parkrun. I have fond memories of Bushy Park as at one stage when I was a child we travelled through it at least once a week and at times twice a week. My primary school decided to forgo the local swimming pool and sent us across to Teddington Pool (of which the sign had lost the end 'l' causing great hilarity for us children). Our wedding reception was also held at a hotel overlooking Bushy Park but sadly it has been closed for many years now.

When driving through Bushy Park it's easy to miss the rhododendrons. The Park isn't particularly well sign posted and some of the side paths look as if they are on the road to nowhere. If you're coming via the Hampton Court entrance you need to go straight on past the famous Diana Fountain and look out for signs on the left to the Waterhouse Woodland Garden or Pheasantry Café. Parking is free but at times rather limited and don't even think of parking on the verges! Once inside the gardens you'll find plenty of families enjoying this garden in a park but walk a little further on and from April to early June you will be rewarded with the sight of rhododendrons and azaleas in full bloom and colour.

The original part of this garden is mid-Victorian and the broad oak trees are evidence of this. After the Second World War a number of rhododendron bushes were planted and these can be seen in the familiar large purple flowers. As with the rest of the park the garden has suffered due to storm damage over the years and in particular the hurricane of 1987. From 2006 to 2008 a new planting project was undertaken with a whole host of new and colourful rhododendrons established in the garden.

I was going to group together the photographs of the rhododendrons by colour and shade and then realised that is not how they are planted in the garden. Everything is mixed together without reference to variety or origin. I did find on a notice board in another part of the park that somewhere in this area there are the varieties Orange Beauty ('the most orange of all'), Rosebud ('opening buds resemble tiny roses') and Vuyk's Scarlet ('larger flowers of a deep silky red'). Whilst there are a few people about in this section I can't say it is tranquil as one would imagine. Unlike Richmond Park it is not on the Heathrow flight path but instead the noise comes from the birds flying around and in particular the parakeets and of course my encounter with an Egyptian Goose. I had the Junior JibberJabbers with me and if you want to see what Miss JibberJabber thought of it pop on over to her blog In The Monkey Tree.