Bodnant Garden is one of the strongest day trips from Llandudno, particularly for those who want beauty without needing to climb a mountain or pretend to enjoy being windswept.

The garden covers eighty acres in the Conwy Valley, approximately eight miles from Llandudno. It has been in the care of the National Trust since 1949 and was established by the McLaren family from 1875, giving it one hundred and fifty years of deliberate cultivation that shows in every significant tree and every composed view.

It combines formal terraces, woodland, water, old trees and seasonal planting with a level of horticultural seriousness that makes many domestic borders look like apologies.

The garden divides into two main areas: the formal terraces descending from the house level, with Italianate design and views towards Snowdonia, and the Dell (the valley garden cut by the River Hiraethlyn, with specimen trees, rhododendrons and water features).

The garden changes through the year. Spring brings bulbs and early magnolias. The famous laburnum arch (a tunnel of golden laburnum bloom approximately 55 metres long) flowers in May and early June and attracts visitors specifically for this spectacle. Summer brings the borders to peak. Autumn gives the woodland colours. Winter reveals the structure.

It is popular, and rightly so. Popularity is not always evidence of vulgarity, though one must remain alert.

Bodnant is not only for gardeners. Even if you cannot name a single plant, the scale, views and careful design are rewarding. One may know nothing of botany and still recognise authority.

The views from the upper terraces towards Snowdonia and the Conwy Valley are among the best garden views in Britain. The designed landscape uses the mountain backdrop with the same confidence as the formal planting, and the result is a garden that feels connected to its landscape rather than imposed on it.

Allow time. Do not treat it as a quick photo stop. A garden of this quality should be walked, not raided like a buffet.

Pre-booking is recommended in peak season, particularly during laburnum time and summer weekends. Arrive at opening time for the best of the light and the least of the competition for the better viewpoints.