Celebrating Pembroke Gardens
On Saturday 3rd November the Master of Pembroke, Lord Chris Smith, spoke to Tony Barnfield of Cambridge 105's 'Cambridge Wishlist' about his favourite music and his Cambridge icon.
As his Cambridge icon he chose Pembroke gardens, saying "Pembroke's gardens are her glory". Listen to the show here.
We definitely agree! In today's blog we're celebrating the gardens throughout the seasons. Thanks to the careful care of our gardening team, led of course by Head Gardener Nick Firman, the gardens have something to offer all year round. It's now November, so most of the flowers have died and the beds that are so full of life in spring and summer are quiet. However there's still plenty of colour to be seen thanks to the many trees throughout the gardens, which carpet the bowling green in leaves and give the gardeners and their leaf blowers plenty of work keeping College tidy.
It's difficult to pick a favourite time in the gardens. Pembroke looks as beautiful covered in snow as it does with daffodils behind every corner, and it's hard to beat the vivid summer colours. Here's a few photos to celebrate Pembroke's gardens at their best whatever the time of year.
Spring
The best place to be in spring is of course the Orchard. At this time of year it is covered in daffodils, and you're also next to the archway through to Library Lawn, which is covered in sweet-smelling pink blossoms. Also not to miss is the magnolia. When our magnolias bloom they transform New Court, and this year the white and the pink bloomed at the same time.
Summer
Summer at Pembroke is all about colour. This year we had a beautiful, hot summer in Cambridge and there were plenty of opportunities to enjoy Pembroke at its best. A popular spot in the Easter term is the Bowling Green, as it's one of the few places where sitting on the grass is allowed, and a good place to relax between study sessions.
Autumn
By the time the Michaelmas term begins the gardens are starting to lose some of their summer vibrancy. There are still some things to look out for, like the delicate cyclamen that appear at the bottom of trees in the Orchard and New Court. Also providing a spot of colour is the Boston Ivy, which turns a beautiful deep red just before losing its leaves.
Winter
Winter this year was all about snow! We had snow in December, but also an unusually snowy period in the early spring. It transformed our usually green College into a winter wonderland.
We hope you've enjoyed our year-round tour of the gardens! Why not let us know what your favourite time of year at Pembroke is by tagging us on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram?