Concealed in the rolling Tywi valley countryside, the lavish National Botanic Garden of Wales is twice the size of London's Kew Gardens, though it isn't as mature. Opened in 2000, the garden is still a work in progress, with new features being added every year.
Formerly an aristocratic estate, the garden has a broad range of plant habitats, from lakes and bogs to woodland and heath, and has lots of decorative areas too – for instance, a walled garden, a Japanese garden and an apothecaries' garden – and educational exhibits on plant medicine and organic farming. The centrepiece is the Norman Foster–designed Great Glasshouse , an arresting glass dome that's sunk into the earth, which houses endangered plants from Mediterranean climes all over the world.
The garden is east of Carmarthen; take the A48 out of town (signposted Swansea and the M4) and after 8 miles take the B4310 on the left (signposted Nantgaredig), then follow the signs to the garden.
