Furzey Gardens, sited in the heart of the New Forest was recommended to me by a friend as a fun garden to visit with children.

My so-called child is verging on being an adult at the tender age of 13, but still, she completely immersed herself into the garden.

The garden has a variety of areas to interest and grab the attention of children so they aren’t being dragged along reluctantly by frustrated parents. Tree houses, a sky viewer and a large large play area (complete with the absolutely necessary swing -necessary for both adults and children, or is that just my daughter and me!) allow children to explore and discover, and the best part is the number of faerie doors and other faerie related features dotted around in the undergrowth. This keeps children completely focused throughout the whole garden, allowing the adult to take in the views and appreciate the planting, as well as the respite from whinging children! Sadly, this adult forgot to do that, and instead got stuck into the task at hand of locating faerie doors. But hey ho, I can always go back and take in the planting another time!

For more about Furzey Gardens, visit their website. RHS members get in free! I didn’t remember to ask, as usual. But this time the member of staff did ask me, to my joy!