For the latest in our Travel Notes series, we visit the Bristol University Botanic Gardens.
Bristol University Botanic Garden was founded in the 1950's and it's current location occupies 1.77 hectare. The Gardens are home to almost 5000 rare and exotic plants.
As always we are drawn to the glasshouses. A wave of heat hits us as we slide open the door and enter the first house, where we discover strange, spiky and other-worldly cacti and succulents. Alongside are other hot and dry-loving plants, while Meditteranean florals jostle for position on the raised benches.
The next house is home to humidity-loving orchids, ferns and sub-tropical plants. We are surrounded in every direction by plants in every conceivable shape, reaching upwards to the lush, dense canopy above dominated by kapok trees and fish tail palms.
In the final house, we find a raised tropical pool, with a giant Amazon water lily, lotus and other moisture-loving specimens. Plants dance across the surface, creating the most magical reflections in the water below.
Find out more about the Bristol Botanic Gardens.