Walking beneath the thick mass of greenery feels like wandering within a fairytale forest. Predicting when exactly the archway will bloom is tricky, as the tree can be a bit finicky depending on the mildness of the winter. But even when not in bloom, the tree’s verdant leaves still create an enticing botanic tunnel. It only lasts for a few weeks, usually in late May or early June. The Laburnum Arch is a fleeting phenomenon. When the tree blooms, its flowers cascade down from the branches like delicate pearls, earning them the nickname “Golden Rain.” Its fallen petals pepper the floor to create a walkway dotted with bright, sunshine-colored spots. Garden arches are a great way to add height structure and a special ornament to your garden - even if you lack space. The delicate blossoms are a welcome pop of color to counteract Wales’ often wet, dreary weather. It was planned by Henry Davis Pochin, the man who created the Bodnant Garden in 1875, and has been enchanting those who pass beneath the ceiling of dangling flowers ever since. The breathtaking 180-foot-long archway is said to be the longest in the United Kingdom. Golden flowers burst from the branches of the laburnum tree, draping downward to creating a tunnel capped by a lush ceiling of blossoms.
See our Dogs Welcome page for full details.Every spring, this mesmerizing flower arch blooms within a Welsh botanic garden. Please remember that if you’d like to bring along your four-legged friend, dogs are welcome in the garden on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. If you have any special requirements such as mobility issues please let us know in advance or on the day and we will do our best to help.
Rest the 2×6 board on the notches and secure with two bolt-and-nut fasteners. Lay the posts on the ground, notches facing up. The notches should be approximately 1 1/2 inches deep and 2 1/2 inches high. The approach is by wide, firm gravelled path and a section of lawn. Cut an L-shape notch at the top of each 4×4 post (A) to accommodate the horizontal 2×6 board (B). The Laburnum Arch is near the entrance to the garden on fairly level ground and is wheelchair accessible. If you are not visiting the garden, but shopping at Bodnant Garden Centre or craft units, please consider coming at off-peak times when the shared car park will be less busy. If you require a disabled parking space we recommend visiting at less busy times, earlier in the morning or later in the day.Ĭonsider car sharing or using public transport (there’s a stop outside the garden gates for the 25 Arriva service from Llandudno).
The team will be on hand in the car park to guide you to a free space when you arrive for your booked time.
We’re looking forward to welcoming visitors to enjoy the blooms again in 2022. Since then, we’ve loved being able to share the joy that the Laburnum arch brings to so many, from near and far. Visiting the Laburnum ArchĢ020 was the first time Bodnant Garden couldn’t welcome people to enjoy the arch, because the garden was closed during the national lockdown. More than 140 years later, the floral display is the most visited, photographed and anticipated event of Bodnant Garden’s year, drawing around 50,000 visitors for three weeks at the end of May and beginning of June. It is believed to be the longest and oldest in Britain. He employed Edward Milner, apprentice to Joseph Paxton, to help design the formal garden around Bodnant Hall, including a Laburnum Arch based on pergola walkways of the 16th and 17th centuries. The Laburnum Arch, a 55 metre-long avenue of golden flowers, was created by the garden’s Victorian founder Henry Pochin in 1880. History of the Laburnum Arch at Bodnant Garden