February in Clyne Gardens 2027: Epiphyte Safari

Teifion Davies is leading an 'Epiphyte Safari' through Clyne Gardens on Saturday 27 February, from 11am. It's a guided walk that takes about an hour, and it's one of a series of monthly educational walks the Friends of Clyne Gardens are running across the winter of 2027, all aimed at the general public.

If you've spent any time in the gardens, you know the usual sights—the flowerbeds, the lawns, the big vistas. This one looks at something most of us walk right past: the plants and lichens that grow on tree trunks and branches. Those are the epiphytes—plants that grow on other plants for support, rather than rooting in the soil. Teifion will be pointing them out and explaining what they are, so it's a chance to notice a whole layer of the estate's botany that usually stays in the background.

Teifion knows the place inside out—he's the gardens' former head gardener, so he's not just reading from a script; he's talking about a landscape he's spent years working in. That's the real draw here: getting a guided look at the gardens from someone who knows exactly what's growing where.

On the practical side, the route might leave the main footpath and cross some uneven ground inside the gardens, so suitable footwear is a good shout. Well-behaved dogs are welcome, too. It starts at 11am on Saturday 27 February at Clyne Gardens, Mumbles Road, Blackpill, SA3 5AS, and tickets start from £3.