A weekend away from the allotment was always going to make me break out into a cold sweat, but a few days away in Cambridge staying on a boat on the River Cam and the promise of a visit to the Cambridge University Botanic Garden convinced me to relinquish the shovel and pick up the road map. 

If you’ve never been to the Cambridge Botanic Garden, it’s definitely worth a visit, whatever the time of year. The early buds on the trees and the splash of fresh green emerging from the ground was a wonderful sight. Although it may not yet exude the richness of summer’s colours, there is still much to see and enjoy.

The Orchid Festival is currently in full swing, and although I don’t claim to be an expert on this particular plant, you cannot help but appreciate the vibrant colours. 

And if orchids don’t float your boat, the neighbouring greenhouses hold a wide range of tropical plants and succulents. 

Each greenhouse is brimming with plants, and the deeper we ventured, the more alien they began to look.

So although spring maybe a little slow off her mark, there’s still plenty of colour to warm your heart at the Cambridge University Botanic Garden, and I’d highly recommend a visit.