The Isabella Plantation in Richmond Park offers a peaceful sanctuary with its azaleas, rhododendrons, camellias and many unusual trees.

It's most spectacular and beautiful in late April and early May each year, but this year the gardens are closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic as it's impossible to keep visitors at a safe distance from each other along the narrow paths.

The Isabella Plantation is a 40 acre woodland garden set within a Victorian woodland plantation planted in the 1830's.

First opened to the public in 1953, it is best known for its evergreen azaleas, which line the ponds and streams and at their peak of flower in late April and early May.

Located in the gardens are the National Collection of Wilson 50 Kurume Azaelas (introduced to the west from Japan in the 1920's by the plant collector Ernest Wilson), large collections of Rhododendrons and Camellias, plus many other rare and unusual trees and shrubs which provide interest all year round.

Part of the parklands conservation designation as a Site of Special Scientific Interest, the site is managed very much with nature in mind and the gardens are run on organic principles.

Native plants commonly grow alongside exotics throughout the Plantation. Perimeter areas are planted with native nectar and berry bearing trees and shrubs to provide food and shelter for birds, bats and insects.

The Plantation's ponds and stream provide additional habitat for invertebrates and amphibians.

Over the past few years, Isabella Plantation has received significant investment from the Heritage Lottery and Big Lottery funds to improve biodiversity and increase access.

Why Isabella? Short history of the Plantation

In the 17th century, this area in the south west corner of Richmond Park was known as The Sleyt. This is the name usually used for boggy ground or an open space between woods or banks.

By 1771, it is shown on maps as Isabella Slade . Isabella may have been the wife or daughter of a member of staff.

But it is more likely to be a corruption of the word isabel, which was used as far back as the 15th century to mean dingy or greyish yellow - the colour of the soil in this part of the park.

In 1831, Lord Sidmouth, the park deputy ranger, fenced off 17ha (42 acres) of the Isabella Slade . He planted oak, beech and sweet chestnut trees as a crop for timber and gave the area the name it has today.

The present garden of clearings, ponds and streams was established from the 1950s onwards. It is largely the work of George Thomson, the park superintendent from 1951-1971.

Along with his head gardener, Wally Miller, he removed Rhododendron ponticum from large areas and replaced it with other rhododendron species.

They established evergreen Kurume Azaleas around the Still Pond and planted other exotic shrub and tree species.

The main stream through the garden from Broomfield Gate was dug in 1960 and the plantation was enlarged to include Peg's Pond.

More recently, in 1989, a wild stream was dug in the northern section and this has now been colonized by ferns, water plantains and brook lime. The Bog Garden was reconstructed in 2000.

Enjoy the walk, listen to the birdsong, take in the aromas

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