CORNWALL GARDENS TRUST

CORNWALL GARDENS TRUST

NEWSLETTER

AUTUMN 2010

Editor DFJ Pearce

Registered Charity Number 800887

 

Message from the Chairman

Dear CGT Member,

I hope everyone has had an enjoyable summer despite the fact that the weather seemed to deteriorate as the season continued. The sun shone, however, on our various garden events and there was a pleasing turn out by members. Garden owners are always far too modest about their gardens but this year’s winter certainly presented some problems for many. I was not able to attend all the events but I know that Elisabeth Walker did an excellent job meeting and greeting. I have been compiling a programme of events for next year and I hope it will be as popular.

The Newsletter gives me an opportunity to highlight three items referred to by the AGT Chairman, Sally Walker, in her August Update and which will undoubtedly be discussed at this year’s AGM on the Isle of Wight. The major point of interest is a potential partnership between the AGT, the Parks and Gardens Database, the Garden History Society and the Garden Museum for the mutual benefit of each organization. We understand that there is no question of a merger, rather a ‘synergy’ between the four, so that the available funding can be allocated more effectively. English Heritage is encouraging this initiative and has agreed that the four organisations should put together a proposal for a feasibility study. The elements most appropriate for collaboration are events and conservation and here the Parks and Gardens Database (to which Cornwall GT has contributed online garden records) can play a major part.

Another point of interest referred to by Sally was the ‘Opening All The Gates’ project in which the AGT has been invited to take part together with the National Trust, the Historic Houses Association and the RHS. The project features a road-show programme addressing access to - and widening participation in - garden heritage, and encourages interested parties such as garden owners, community groups and heritage garden trusts to create their own access projects, making historic gardens more accessible, and appealing to a wider audience. Funding has been a problem but perhaps in time one of these road-shows will visit Cornwall and the CGT would be invited to participate by providing a venue and arranging garden visits.

Finally, Sally brought our attention to the pilot scheme being undertaken - currently in the South East - by Verena McCaig, AGT’s Historic Landscape Project Officer. Very briefly, this initiative will provide support and training for CGT’s so that with enhanced research and conservation management skills, they can be more involved and make a greater contribution to the preservation of the historic designed landscape in the future.

I hope that this summary of important developments within the AGT will be of interest to our members who may sometimes feel that Cornwall is a long way away from all that is going on in London!

Best wishes,

Angela Stubbs.

 

Reports on the CGT 2010 garden visits this year………

 

Treventon, St Columb Major.

May 7th was one of those days when the weather didn’t know if it wanted to rain or shine, but thankfully for us the rain held off, and the sun even struggled to put in an appearance as we strolled round.

This garden reminded me of rebellious teenagers – they know how you want them to behave but there’s no way they’re going to, especially if you’re watching. Felicity and Peter Penneycard, the current custodians, are conducting a battle of wills with this spirited garden, not least of which is the ten year tree work plan, devised after an arboriculture survey.

We walked from areas of open sunshine – look, there’s a shadow to prove it, to areas of deep shade created by dense laurel and holly trees. Perfect for den-making and a game of hide and seek. The wild garlic made my mouth water.

From there we emerged into an area of peace and tranquillity (well I’m sure if is when we’re not there) protected by a large hedge. Here there were herbs and pinks and, as you can see, a small fountain which makes this a very peaceful area to ponder life, or as a gardener more likely devising the next ‘to do’ list of jobs.

Thank you Felicity for showing us round your garden and for the lovely tea and cakes. (Claire Hewlett)

 

St Dellan

On June 9th members and guests enjoyed a visit to St Dellan which is located almost at Land’s End and is reached by a mile-long lane that winds from Boskenna down through woods crafted from centuries of Cornish gales, crossing a stream before arriving at one of 36 small fields. These are bordered by a beach, covered with pebbles bigger than cannonballs, leading down to the sea - no possibility to paddle here!

These small fields, which are in a frost-free micro-climate, form part of the property owned by John and Sue Phillips, who were on hand to welcome us and tell us that in former times these fields were used to grow daffodils and potatoes. Some of the fields are still bordered by dry stone walls consisting of big granite stones that had originally been dragged up from the beach, while further protection from the elements was provided by hedges of Phormium, Escallonia and Olearia haastii. The fields are now down to grass and although they are mown they are largely left undeveloped and therefore give a better impression of the hard lives endured by the people who once made their living from cultivating them.

 

After exploring the fields we walked along a border containing branching Echium, bearded iris, and Kniphofia, and then climbed up through a small pine wood to eventually reach the beautiful cultivated gardens that surround John and Sue’s house. After a welcome rest on the sun deck - one of the many secluded areas where one could sit and enjoy the garden - we walked along a rose-covered terrace until we came to a pool surrounded by a huge mass of arum lilies. From there we strolled back up through the woods along a path which brought us to the neighbouring Cove Cottage - home of Sue and John White. Here we sat on a terrace to enjoy a delicious cream tea while we looked out over a delightfully laid-out garden which extended all the way down to St Loy cove. It had been a long journey for some of us to reach this corner of Cornwall, but we considered it well worthwhile as we took in the view, and the memory of the two gardens remained with us as we drove back home. (Pam Hurley)

 

Tresillian House Gardens

On 14 July, a group of us visited Tresillian House Gardens, just 4 miles from the sea. It was a day of warm sun and threatening showers but we had sunshine until the end of the visit. John Harris, the Head Gardener, gave us an introductory talk about the history of the house and estate. Sadly all plans of the gardens as they once were, had disappeared by the time John was appointed twenty-five years ago to put order into what had become a wilderness of rampant laurel, bramble, and sycamore saplings. All had to be cleared to bring about the present owner’s aim to restore the grounds to the vision he has of what might have existed when the house was built in 1840. Much has been achieved, and there are exciting plans for further clearing and planting – an arboretum with a shelter belt against the prevailing westerly winds is to be planted in the autumn, and a large Victorian greenhouse is to be built next year on the site of the present fruit garden.

We were led past a small lake along woodland paths to a small orchard, fruit garden and a vista of the house which had been cleared last winter, and then to the walled garden which was a revelation. It is totally planted as it would have been in Victorian times, and is completely organic and never watered – the tomatoes in the greenhouse excepted. There were rows of luscious broad beans, cabbages, rare black-podded peas (which came from France and of which John Harris is the only custodian), potatoes and runner beans. Then, with the heat bouncing off the old brick walls, the scent of the tall-stemmed, old-fashioned carnations was gloriously evocative: also, there were stocks, dahlias, cosmos and French marigolds. Instead of insecticides, comfrey is used for making a spray against aphids and John also uses an infusion of nettles and water to make a rich liquid for spraying against whitefly.

 

John gardens with the stages of the moon: full moon draws the maximum moisture up in the soil, so rooted plants thrive; but the last quarter of the moon has the least moisture, so then all the digging & fertilising is carried out. It was a place where we all wanted to linger, but having previously raided the old fruit garden for soft fruit, we dragged ourselves away and walked through a large orchard planted in a diamond pattern containing almost every variety of Cornish plum. There were also trees of Cornish apples, although John did admit that some of these also grew across the Tamar in Devon. Finally, we walked back to the house through a small plantation which had been planted by prison inmates who spent 18 months working under supervision on the estate. Some still return to see how their work is progressing, and apparently only one has re-offended.

 

 

 

An amazing find was made when the ground for the orchard was being cleared. Folklore suggested there had been a chapel in the field but no-one knew exactly where, but the JCB hit something solid, and a beautiful mediaeval stone mullion which had been supporting an arch of the chapel was revealed. It now stands as a splendid focal point in the orchard. (Marian Donaldson)

 

Bucks Head House Garden

Deborah Baker and her partner Ray have not so much tamed the Cornish wind as found a creative co-existence. The garden was nothing more than fields when Deborah arrived at Christmas time 2003.

At 600 feet above sea level, it faces down towards the Lizard Peninsula. The views can be spectacular and so can the force of the salt winds, so for this garden to survive it needs shelter belt and braces. Crataegus monogyna, Elaeagnus ebbingei, Griselinia, and Olearia are among the plants that have thrived as hedges.

Back in the eighteenth century the house was owned by the manager of Bosahan quarry. He gave it its handsome granite frontage and the striking wall of vertical granite slabs along which we entered the garden. Rather more recently, granite from the same quarry was use to construct the Thames Barrier.

The top garden, started from scratch in 2004 and directly in front of the house, is semi-formal. The immediate impression is of colour and texture. Rudbekia plays a part at this time of year, but the unusual grasses light up in the wind and animate the space. Several of us were also attracted by the delicate roses, Sally Holmes and mutabilis, at the top and bottom of this part of the garden.

Started in 2005, the lower garden is a more intimate space, a cocoon to weave through before coming out into the wider expanse of the woodland garden. This started life in 2006 as a one-acre field. The first operation was to plant over 1000 trees, a labour increased by the need for strong staking. One striking windbreak variety is fast-growing Oleria virgata, already about twelve feet high but with a delicate feathery structure.

What gives the current garden its character is not just the plants chosen to resist the wind or the many unusual specimens, but what Ray describes as the male/female attitude to mowing. Whereas he would have mowed up and down in straight lines, Deborah got bored with this after a couple of days and started going round in circles and crescents. This influenced the layout of the garden. The resulting balance of grass and woodland provides an organic space in which to wander and linger.

The beds within the outer shelter belt provide further shelter, but also a congregation of different family groups: alder, birch, eucalyptus and willow. Rare specimens include Alnus sieboldiana with its brilliant green serrated leaf.

As a result of the vital windbreaks, the garden has so far withstood its exposed position. Surprisingly tender plants have survived the winters as the incessant wind helps to prevent deep frost forming and the acid/neutral soil is free draining. Deborah sees the garden as work in progress, dependent as always on the uncertainties of weather and climate. (Helen Hastings)

[My thanks go to all those who produced these garden visit reports – Ed.]

 

Christmas Lecture / Lunch 2010

The popular Christmas Lecture / Lunch takes place on Tuesday 7th December at Lanhydrock with a lecture given by Jonathan Lovie, (The Conservation Policy Adviser and Principal Conservation Officer at the Garden History Society) who is working on the history of Lanhydrock. As the menu choices have to be booked in advance, please use the enclosed form which must be returned with the remittance of £27 per person before Monday 22nd November. There is a supplement of £1 for non CGT members.

The restaurant facilities are limited in the numbers they can accommodate but we are looking forward to seeing as many members as possible at Lanhyrock. Please meet at 11am for 11-30. Coffee will be available to purchase on arrival. Booking will be on a ‘first come, first served’ basis.

News from the Recorders’ Group

Members had an interesting training meeting in May with Sue Pring at Jean Hill’s garden ‘Headland’ in Polruan across from Fowey. This interesting coastal garden is open to the public in the summer every Thursday 2-6pm, May until August so members might enjoy a visit independently of the CGT.

Members of the group are busy working on various records with lots more waiting in the pipeline but we need more recorders. We would love some more members to become recorders, so please come and join the recorders group. - please contact: Ianthe del Tufo 01326 231 339 or email: [email protected]

Book Reviewers Wanted

We are looking for volunteers to review books for the next issue of the Cornwall Gardens Trust’s Journal, which will be published in the spring. Reviewers are usually sent one book (about gardens or garden history) in the autumn and asked to write between 200 and 400 words by the end of January. If they wish, reviewers may keep the book or donate it to the Trust for a raffle prize or for the library at Duchy College, Rosewarne.

If you are interested please contact Shirley Barnes on [email protected], tel: 01209 214991.

Fundraising

The Trustees are looking for a keen volunteer to take on the job of fundraising for the trust. If you are interested in doing this, or know of anyone who might be prepared to take on this task, would you please contact either Dr Angela Stubbs (01326 250092) or Peter del Tufo (01326 231339) to find out more about what this role entails.

Indeed if you are interested in taking on any aspect of the trust’s activities - don’t hide your light under a bushel - please contact our Chairman, Angela Stubbs on 01326 250092.

Remember – Many hands make light work!

2010 AGT Annual Conference on the Isle of Wight.

We have had a really lovely autumn so why oh why did the three days of the conference have to be the wettest days of the month? All the work that went into the event could not spoil it but it was a struggle. On arrival we were all given beautifully prepared folders, which I am still reading, illustrated with lovely old prints of the houses we were to visit together with the programme for the weekend.

Most of the members stayed in Shanklin but twelve of us were lucky and stayed at Northcourt, Shorewell. This is one of the early manor houses that was begun in 1615 for the Deputy Governor of the Isle of Wight, and is set in the grounds of one of the gardens we were to visit.

There was a coach for the Shanklin group to move around the island, but we had to use private cars for the transport. It was lovely for me as a passenger, but I felt it a bit hard on the drivers, nothing to drink at dinner and wet drives along unknown roads trying to keep in convoy with the windscreen wipers going full pelt

The walk down the chine at Shanklin was abandoned as it was too slippery - then no-one was keen to try it in reverse as we were too wet, and any way it was still raining! So we all stayed longer at the reception which was well organised and enjoyable. We finished the final get-together by all singing ‘We do like to be beside the seaside.’

I apologise for sounding a little jaundiced, but it could have been so lovely. I had been looking forward to the occasion as I spent the first years of my marriage on the Isle of Wight - it never rained then, only when I moved to Devon! (Jean Hill)

CGT Website www.cornwallgardenstrust.org.uk

Have you visited the newly laid out and easily accessible website? If you have, you will see the website now has a page for News Items, so if anyone has any bits they wish to advertise before, or in addition to, the regular Newsletter, (photos seen in colour on the website), please send your contribution to:

the CGT Secretary - [email protected]

Lecture

Trish Gibson is lecturing on Brenda Colvin and Sylvia Crowe at the Devon Gardens Trust Autumn Conference ‘Women in the Garden’ at University of Exeter, Queen’s Building, St David’s Campus on Saturday 30th October 10am - 4.30pm. The cost is £27.50 for Trust Members - includes coffee, lunch and tea. Contact: [email protected] or 01626 867700.

AGT Newsletter – Eyecatcher

The AGT will no longer be printing copies of Eyecatcher for distribution to Cornwall Gardens Trust members. The Newsletter is available on the AGT website for those who wish to access it. For those members who do not have access to computers and the Internet and who wish to continue to receive a copy of Eyecatcher, please send a note with your contact details including name and address to our Secretary, and we will do our best to ensure that you receive one. A stamped addressed envelope for each copy would be helpful in keeping costs down.

Christmas Lecture / Lunch 2010

We look forward to meeting you at Lanhydrock on Tuesday 7th December when guest speaker Jonathan Lovie, (The Conservation Policy Adviser and Principal Conservation Officer at the Garden History Society) who is working on the history of Lanhydrock will give the lecture followed by a seasonal lunch. Please note that individual choices from the menu have to be advised to the catering staff in advance of the meal!! If you have mislaid your booking form, please contact our Membership Secretary, David Pearce.

And finally…….

David Pearce, CGT Newsletter editor, is happy to receive short articles of information from members for publication in future Newsletters. These may be on any garden related topic, technical, personal experiences, humorous moments, cartoons etc. Please send articles to Sweet Thymes, Rose, Truro TR4 9PQ either by snail-mail or preferably by e-mail to: [email protected]