Bodnant on Show Garden in Snowdonia

Bodnant Garden in North Wales

of rhododendrons and azaleas.

Bodnant has attracted garden lovers

Head gardener, Troy Scott Smith

a major improvement programme

the top ten gardens in the world.

Lawn work. I mean, big expense a

year just to maintain that one lawn!

Hedge cutting takes two people

Running Bodnant is obviously a very expensive operation.

We spend over a million quid a year on this garden. We've got to

Bodnant's Manager, Michael McLaren, a member of the Aberconway family

With Visitor Services Manager,

this is the draft schedule...

It will be very noisy I have to say

about cannon and musket fire

coming to see the beauty and tranquillity here. They might feel a little nose out of joint

re-enactment, there'll be archery,

It's a way of giving more pleasure to more people who come to Bodnant

and they want to see a play

It's more revenue, hopefully profit.

and I'm completely determined that we're going to make it financially even more self sufficient than it is

provided, of course, it doesn't spoil the ethos of the place.

One event that certainly won't threaten the ethos of Bodnant is the head gardener's guided tour.

What I propose we'll do then we'll just stroll round the garden,

what some of them are called.

But it's easy with the species of course but with hybrids, you know, if this was raised at Bodnant

I think some of the larger scale events, like the war re-enactment,

attracting visitors to Bodnant

is all about the horticulture and it never fails to impress.

I just think its so peaceful. It's

I think it's the best I've been to.

I mean I used to go to Kew a lot

it's better than that really.

But at £5 a head, this small scale tour won't make much of dent

hopes on more ambitious events

to broaden the appeal of Bodnant and bring in a new source of income.

It's a beautiful day in July.

Visitors are gathering for two big events to open the summer season.

The Mid Wales falconry team is entertaining the crowds.

She has to co-ordinate both the falconry display in the day time

and an opera in the evening.

When you're running events, there is a lot of pressure.

There is a lot of pressure on a normal opening day with visitors.

You want things to be perfect to have the greatest of times.

I quite thrive on that really.

I'm going to get the birds off out

and then we'll do something called eye to talon co-ordination with

especially the Harris hawks

when they catch it! Nice round of

OK, bit of a fight...and they're

Lots of people who come from cities will never have seen these birds

so it's really great that they can get that kind of information.

Hi, how are you? Wonderful, thank

Good. I missed the afternoon flying display. I'm really sorry about that.

I know you're busy with everything that's going on. It is a busy day,

for tonight's opera performance

it's been a really busy weekend and particularly busy for me today.

for garden opera this evening.

Yeah? OK. That one feels quite full.

The technical crew and performers have been granted special access

is down the steps that are there.

That way and then just go... You'll need just to lower the rope step

because our guests are having a little wander around the garden.

of course people will just walk

wherever they... Where restricted

Just ask you to go back on to the lawn. This is a private area.

So if you'd like to go down the steps

Bodnant Garden was donated to the National Trust 60 years ago,

but the house is still owned and it's closed to the public.

Sandy, you'll be in the car park here. Gordon, at the tunnel entrance.

Doreen, you are going to be

to cope with the expected crowds.

The majority of all the work on the events, certainly the organising

beforehand and on the day of

because if it isn't successful it's down to me in the end.

But Troy is worried that so many

My job is to care for the garden

of visitors who are gardeners, well they understand the problems

but people coming for, let's say,

and the fragility of the garden

creates a bit of a worry for me the garden could be damaged.

I have been concerned about ticket sales. The weather has been really pretty poor this month particularly.

'But you have to go ahead and publicise it, get the leaflets out.

With less than an hour to go,

Michael McLaren and his family

to support Bodnant's premiere of Donizetti's Don Pasquale.

All the family have gathered - my wife, my three children,

various of her children, various

Michael and his wife Caroline this is the way forward for Bodnant.

I think it's wonderful to hear music

alive. We heard people warming up

It's just what a garden and a house like this should have, lots of music!

Well, it's rather a dream come true because I adore music and my wife went to the Royal College of Music

plays a big part in our lives.

the two together - it's wonderful.

It's a lively modern production

are here to enjoy the performance.

Not as many as I really would have hoped, have turned up for this event.

gamble with an evening event,

Perhaps not everybody's cup of tea.

Michael and Ann have to face the fact that the opera was not quite the success they would have wished.

haven't got enough to break even.

But I think this is the way forward and see if we can get numbers up.

operas fairly regularly at Bodnant

but, at the moment, you're right

and things like that before where they have those big concerts.

utmost to promote and publicise

We've had it on our website, we've produced leaflets and posters.

They've gone out everywhere locally, throughout North Wales, Cheshire

to get the message out there - we've got opera in the garden.

'If something isn't working,

There's one consolation for Troy and his team as the crowds depart,

Water lilies have been star

There are 15 varieties here

providing a spectacular display

it was moved here in 1939 from

It's a fantastic space, isn't it?

The design and the sense of space

by Henry McLaren - designed by him

sort of between 1905 and 1920.

'There's a lovely picture I've got...

'showing this pond with the lilies

You know, its just like a stage set - there's nothing out of place every single leaf is perfect.

I don't know how many gardeners

but it shows you the amount of attention that they gave to the garden when it was being laid out.

then the Pin Mill wasn't here.

which of course makes this lovely

It's nice to have the lilies just at either end so you do see

but that will soon be fixed

pond over the peak summer season.

Still, many of this year's visitors are not coming for the lilies.

Fortunately it's a sunny day.

They're re-enacting a local

What a lethal looking weapon.

is to have something that the visitors can actually interact with.

You know, you've got a lady there

use it properly and safely.

As a gardener, you become ever so precious about your garden

hours into it, not just me, but the 20 other gardeners.

time we've dedicated to the garden,

cold and wet, or too hot, and, yeah, you don't want it damaging.

You do have a personal relationship a different way and I think

if you don't have that bond I think you're probably less of a gardener.

The Royalists and Roundheads

All the volunteers are kitted

bodies on the Royalist side and the Roundheads claim victory.

and, yes, it was great, smashing.

I like the old cannons and that going off. Bit of a fright like

we've never been to Bodnant

but because the Sealed Knot were

to enjoy the peace of the garden,

see this every time I came here

I think it's been really good.

The battle at Bodnant is a triumph.

and made a profit of £8,000.

Clearly it brings people in.

Once they've seen the event, they've got the whole of the garden to enjoy so it's a good added-value visit.

And it's going to be a success obviously is the bottom line really.

they're removing the lilies

It's quite critical that we get the proper stuff, aquatic compost,

heavy and low in nutrients. Naturally expected this not to be so soily.

You can see it's fairly like soil

Forms nice, um, balls there.

not going to lift up which is good.

This temporary pool is the lilies' home for the next eight months

while essential repairs are carried out at the lily pond.

but it's a small price to pay to safeguard this important feature.

I think we may get a few complaints

"Why are we digging all the sort of key areas up in the garden?"

and the lilies will survive and we'll get them back next season hopefully.

As the summer draws to an end, Ann and the team are preparing for the last event of the season.

The BBC television programme,

It's an opportunity to show the garden to millions of viewers.

It's not something we've held here

the film crews here and the experts.

If we get somewhere between

1,500 and 3,000 people here tomorrow

it would be the highest number of people we've had to an event.

So it will also be the biggest event

The Bodnant Team is keen to

She's running a little bit late and

FB has just arrived in the car park so she'll make her way down.

when I came into the garden

was just the scope of the ambition

or people that put this together.

There's no doubt the event is going to be a huge success for Bodnant.

Hundreds of people have turned up with their family heirlooms and curios to be valued by the experts.

For The Antiques Road Show team

Main interest on the Road Show is the objects and the owners

but it's important to us, as well, to be able to have a compelling backdrop and ideally with a great history

and this came together beautifully for us and we have been so incredibly lucky with the weather today.

that Troy doesn't want to miss.

I wasn't going to bring anything It's an oil on canvas painting

and see what the experts say.

Something that I've always liked.

You know it's hanging in my

I am much more relaxed today.

be a shame if I didn't enjoy these days instead of worrying about them

because it actually does bring something extra to Bodnant I think.

Knole which I expect you knew.

It's a fantastic view and I actually know the artist that painted this -

a bit of a story about the artist'

and the actual subject matter.

Value wise it would have been nice if it had a few more noughts on!

Oh, I was going to have a look through the window. I'm afraid you

is still a challenge for Ann.

Over 2,000 visitors have arrived they haven't paid to come in.

That is an income loss if you like for us but also it increases

and, more importantly, it's raising

It has been very worthwhile today.

there appears to be very little damage to his precious lawn.

When you look across generally you can see the lawn's been walked on but I think it's well worth it, isn't it?

fantastic atmosphere, decent weather, really enjoyed it actually!

got a huge audience bringing six million viewers to admire the garden as a backdrop for the show.

Over the course of the summer,

bringing new visitors to Bodnant,

Even Troy has finally accepted that non-gardening events are essential.

mindful that we're dealing with

so I think, you know, if we can attract more tourists and more

that would serve my purpose, because the garden's getting better,

more events equals more visitors

And that's the point for Michael.

I'd like to see the events develop along the same lines as have

with improvements, obviously,

But, broadly speaking, the events were very successful this year

on that success for next year.

E-mail [email protected]