The Alhambra Garden, Roundhay Park, Leeds

Roundhay Park, Roundhay, Leeds, where we spent today, is one of the largest city parks in Europe, with over 700 acres of parkland, lakes, woodland and gardens, all of which are owned by Leeds City Council. It is home to the Alhambra Garden, a faithful reproduction of the Patio Acequia of the Alhambra Palace in Grenada, Spain. Hedges replace the buildings surrounding the original garden, and although no one really knows how the original garden looked when the Sultans ruled, Arab writing and paintings were used to help recreate the garden. One half of the garden uses plants known to be available or popular during Moorish times, while the other half uses more modern plants. This ornamental garden, along with the Monet Garden, plus the Hesco Gardens, three Leeds gold award winners from very recent Chelsea Flower Shows funded and supported by the now sadly deceased Jimi Heselden of Hesco Bastion fame, are immaculately maintained by Leeds City Council gardeners and freely open for all to enjoy.