CORNWALL GARDENS TRUST

CORNWALL GARDENS TRUST

NEWSLETTER

AUTUMN 2012

Editor David FJ Pearce

Message from the Chairman

Education - Claire Hewlett will chair the forthcoming SW Education Seminar at Trerice on 16^th April which is being organised with the help of Jean Marcus and John Lanyon.

There has been a surprisingly low level of applications for funding from both Primary & Secondary schools – the Committee would welcome suggestions as to how we can further encourage & involve Educational Bodies. The Trust is grateful to the McCrone and the Tanner Trusts for their generous donations towards education and which enables the Trust to continue with these initiatives.

Conservation - Jean Marcus and Angela Stubbs attended the Historic Landscape Day at Hestercome on 20^th July, organized by Verena McCabe (AGT) with input by Jonathan Lovie (GHS). This project hopes to identify vulnerable designed landscapes and to encourage county gardens trusts to play a greater role. Support would be offered to help volunteers develop and apply their skills. All the trusts present expressed their difficulties in finding volunteers to do the work, but agreed with the practical advice to track down and hold on to a friendly planning officer.

NB the Garden History Society has had its staff cut severely and all planning applications are now devolved to the local gardens trusts for comment. A list is sent via the AGT to the Conservation Officer and any applications that are deemed of importance will be inspected and if necessary forwarded to the two remaining officers of the GHS. The list itself is from the Local Authority and only involves the more important (listed gardens) – if you are aware of any developments affecting ANY historic garden, please get in touch with our Conservation Officer – Sue Pring (email : splosh.ing@btinternet.com).

Recorders - Sue Pring organised a training meeting at Carclew, where recorders undertook comparative map studies. This was followed by a site visit with generous hospitality provided by Mr & Mrs Williams of Carclew House, and a further guided tour by Mrs Neale of the area around the ruins. The Ernest Cooke Trust assisted with expenses.

Garden Events - These were well attended, despite the poor weather – many thanks to all the owners and organizers, as well as Jean Marcus, Elisabeth Walker and to everyone who helped out as stewards, photographers and reporters – for making these events so enjoyable. The year ended with a successful lunch at Hotel Endsleigh followed by a walk around the Repton gardens with the Head Gardener.

Talks – John Lanyon gave an illustrated talk about developments at some local National Trust properties. Following on from that, our newly vamped PowerPoint presentation which outlines the development of gardens and designed landscapes in Cornwall (compiled by Trish Gibson, Nigel Mathews and Sue Pring), is now up and running with our first talk being given at Kea Garden Club. Following a mailshot to local clubs and societies, further talks are already booked for Old Cornwall Societies at Bodmin, Probus and Wadebridge; garden clubs at Mawnan, Landulph and Stoke Climsland, the Saltash PROBUS Club and the Autumn Conference of the Cornwall Association of Local Historians.

We hope these talks will promote our Trust and its work and would welcome any more volunteers who would be prepared to present the talk – suitable training can be provided!

Journal and Newsletters - Many thanks go to the Editors – Trish Gibson for the Journal, and David Pearce for the regular Newsletters, and to Shirley Barnes for organising the book reviews, and also to all contributors to these publications. Unfortunately, Trish is unable to continue with editing the Journal for the foreseeable future, and we are therefore seeking a volunteer to undertake this role.

Committee/Trustees - Due to the recent resignation of both our Chairman and the Journal Editor (both brought about by ill health) and the impending standing down of both the Secretary and Vice Chairman at the 2013 AGM, we are urgently looking for volunteers to fill these positions. If you yourself, or any other member or individual that you know of, would be willing to take on any of these positions, please contact either myself or our Secretary, Peter Fairbank.

Sue Pring, Vice Chairman

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Cornwall Gardens Trust Garden Visits 2013

A great deal of work has gone into the planning for next year’s programme and we are particularly grateful to Angela who organised these interesting and varied visits whilst under difficult personal circumstances.

Thursday, March 21^st 11.00am

Fentongollan Flower Farm, Merthen Lane, St Michael Penkevil, Truro TR2 4AQ

This is an opportunity to visit the 160-acre thriving bulb, spring flower and plug vegetable enterprise which was established by the Hosking family who have farmed at Fentongollan since 1883. The farm, which also produces cereals and spring lamb, is beautifully situated on the banks of the Fal estuary, offers 250 varieties of dry bulbs, and exports home-grown spring flowers to Holland, and by mail order, in this country. Refreshments included. No dogs, please.

Wednesday, April 24^th 11.00am

Penberth House, Penberth, St. Buryan TR 19 6H J

The spring garden at Penberth House was originally laid out by Lady Banham’s grandfather, Dr Favell, a noted daffodil breeder. This 10-acre garden spectacularly situated in the beautiful Penberth Valley takes advantage of the sea views and rocky landscape. There are colourful camellias and azaleas, a stream, with bog and water garden, and a terrace. The garden is entered via a striking granite archway. Refreshments included. No dogs.

Wednesday, May 22^nd 2.00pm

Pentillie Castle, St. Mellion PL12 6QD

Pentillie Castle stands dramatically over the river Tamar affording magnificent views of the surrounding countryside. This imposing 17th building is surrounded by a large, historic garden full of interesting planting and architectural features, and is currently being carefully restored by the Coryton family. The impressive Walled Garden now has new walls and the old greenhouses are being renovated. Mr or Mrs Coryton will conduct the tour, and tea will be served in the castle on our return. Please, no dogs or picnics.

Wednesday, June 5^th 10.30am

Polgwynne, Feock TR3 6SG

The terraced lawns of this colourful 4-acre garden, currently being sympathetically renovated, and its handsome mid 1930’s house, Polgwynne, overlook the Carrick Roads. An elegant water course borders the lawns, and there is a productive walled garden with a magnificent display of peonies, and notable Victorian greenhouses. Refreshments will be taken on the terrace. No dogs, please.

Thursday, June 20^th 2.30pm

Carminowe Valley Gardens TR11 7PU

These gardens, partly surrounded by a small river with woodland walks, have been extended by its very enthusiastic owners to display maximum colour and abundant planting, including roses. There are strikingly designed formal areas including an enclosed cottage garden, while the wildflower meadow, shrubberies and kitchen garden create contrasting vistas. Tea will be taken in the gardens. Dogs on leads, please.

Wednesday, July 10^th 2.00pm

Marsh Villa Gardens, St. Andrew’s Road, Par PL24 2LU.

These 3-acre traditionally English gardens have been carefully designed to create variety and to generate ideas. A 100-yd hornbeam hedge divides the gardens, and winding paths and marshland walks lead the visitor past the natural water features and colourful beds featuring many different planting schemes. Tea will be taken in the gardens. Dogs on leads, please.

Wednesday, July 24^th at 2.00pm

Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens, Penzance TR20 8YL

The spectacular Tremenheere Gardens overlook St Michael’s Mount and are situated in a lush valley with a wide variety of landscaping styles including a micro-climate for sub-tropical planting. The setting also provides a dramatic background for a superb collection of contemporary sculpture. The new Lime Tree Café provides refreshments which are not included in the entry fee. Dogs on leads, please.

 

Please make a note of the dates and times in your new 2013 diary. A booking form will be sent out in January.

Reports on the CGT summer 2012 garden visits ……

Higher Truscott, St Stephens

High on a hill above Launceston stands the charming hamlet of Higher Truscott. It was here that a small and privileged group of members gathered to be shown around the garden belonging to John and Gilly Mann. Developed over a period of 40 years or so, from the yard and orchard of an old farmhouse, the area to the rear of the house is an impressive alpine garden filled with plant men’s objects of desire including a dwarf Dierama; Meconopsis regia; Phyteuma ‘scheuchzeri’; unusual Alliums and countless other treasures sheltered to the north by a forty year old Acer griseum amongst others. Gradually the more formal garden morphs into a ‘woodland area’ of Viburnums, Acers, Magnolias including fine M. proctoriana, which in Spring is underplanted with white Fritillarias; and a large Magnolia stellata which came from the original Treseder’s Nursery in Truro. Bit by covetous bit we worked our way, past numerous granite troughs and other containers filled with goodies to the front of the house, which is swathed with the mauve ‘Potato Vine’ – Ipomoea - in full flower and then across the road to an unexpected treasure house.

On the site of a redundant swimming pool, John has designed and built an impressive formal water garden. A tall, straight vase/fountain connected by a rill to a deep tank, in one corner of which he has thoughtfully placed a ‘frog ladder’! A sumptuous planting of Japanese iris and peonies; Paeonia lactiflora ‘Barrymore’ and P.lactiflora ‘Silver Flare’ backed by a hedge of golden Lonicera divides this from another woodland area of trees and shrubs including a late flowering Rhododendron ‘Tortoiseshell Orange’; Camellia ‘Anticipation’ which flowered generously despite facing east; an eye catching hybrid Deutzia ‘Magicien’ which is shaded from deep pink through to white and many other unusual things underplanted with lots of groundcover subjects including a vivid Geranium nodosum ‘Swish Purple’ and Brunnera ‘Mr Morse’ - a white flowered variety.

We wandered through and along mown grass paths to a formal path lined with roses and squares of box hedging to a seat in an arbour of climbers and the ‘business end’ of the garden. We then made our way back to the house through this amazing garden, which despite the miserable weather managed to be full of colour and interest. Over tea and biscuits in the Garden Room which overlooks the alpine garden, I found myself wondering whether Gilly and John ever had ‘time to stand and stare’ at the delight they have created. Certainly, we appreciated being given the opportunity to do so. (Jenny Parshall)

 

 

 

 

Trelawne Manor and Barton

On Saturday July 7^th despite amber warnings of floods to come, an intrepid band of CGT members mustered at Trelawne Barton to be met by the owner, Carole Vivian. Carole was to bring to life what remained of Trelawne Manor c.1450 and its estate. The Trelawney family had moved from Pelynt in 1600 to this grand manor house but in the 18^th century, being avid followers of fashion, swept away the formal Elizabethan gardens in favour of open parkland and carefully sited clumps of trees. Sir Harry Trelawney planted 1000 chestnuts in 1779 and developed collections of species trees including hornbeam, birch, scarlet oaks - mainly to shelter the deer or build up the Warren - and much of this planting can still be seen from the Barton. Carole pointed out a remarkable illusion that had been created by the excavation of a deep lane running from the farmyard towards the manor so livestock could be moved – invisibly - to pasture without contaminating Trelawne’s sylvan vistas.

After identifying the 18^th century landscape in context from the Barton, Carole warned us that we were now in for a cultural shock as we approached the manor….and she was right! Trelawne and its chapel still stand proudly but are surrounded by a flourishing holiday park with chalets, mobile homes, crazy golf, and a swimming pool on what was once the bowling green. Little remains of the structure of the garden or its planting but there are the modest vestiges of a former herbaceous border and a line of 10 yew trees probably planted by Sir Harry Trelawney though I could find no trace of the three magnolias he had planted by the house in 1780. It is sad to see the noble manor no longer surrounded by gardens, Elizabethan, ‘Brownian’ or Victorian, but the property is being well maintained and the holiday makers we encountered seemed to be relaxed and happy despite the blustery showers.

 

Our tour ended up at the delightful Barton (built c.1690 as Bishop Trelawney’s Home Farm) with a delicious cream tea and the opportunity to admire Carole’s prolific and colourful garden. There is an outstanding and mouth-watering collection of soft fruit in sturdy cages, a large pond with superb water lilies and lots to admire round each corner as the area has been artfully divided up to create interesting spaces.

 

I am not sure how Carole finds time to attend to everything despite her ‘retirement’ but I know that we benefited from her extensive knowledge of the Trelawney family and were able to enjoy her 21^st century garden which she modestly calls ‘work in progress’. (Angela Stubbs.)

 

 

 

 

 

Tregarthen Vean, Mylor

As we arrived on Wednesday August 8^th, we were welcomed by our host Mr Williams and shown photos of the estate when it was his father’s market garden. Then there were lots of greenhouses growing tomatoes and now only one greenhouse remains, where perennial plants for sale are grown.

His father’s house is to the east and beyond is their house built in 1995. Mr Williams planted trees around the new house before the building even began. Now there are 12 acres of planted arboretum and garden.

Mr Williams led the way, explaining his plantings as we went and pointing out favourite groupings etc. We walked along wide avenues of mown grass with beds of different sizes & shapes with trees, shrubs and perennials on either side. Many splendid trees were to be seen, including a viridian elm tree and a Wych Elm, Ulmus glabra with beautiful large yellow tinged leaves, various oaks, blue cedars beside a Nyssa sylvatica for colour contrast in the autumn, conifers, Cornus capitata, camellias and a golden leaved cedar. In another bed a group of Betula jacquemontii with apricot peeling trunks. In another group we saw Davidia, the pocket handkerchief tree and many different maples, behind which there were windbreak trees, some grown from seeds from New England.

After the glade we turned down onto a path, with Victorian ‘street lights’, towards the house. There were island beds on either side with a mix of trees and shrubs with perennials below for colour. The soil is heavy clay. There was hardly a weed to be seen, as a mulch of tree chips and mushroom compost is used. Several large rounded glacial stones are features in the garden, grouped amongst the shrubs.

A stand of maples giving good autumn colour was grown seeds from New England. A Parottia persica had already turned maroon, prematurely. There was a very large oak tree in a raised bed which had been part of a hedge. Nearby a variegated cornus was planted in front of dark pines together with several blue cedars.

To give an example of the mixed planting, one bed contained silver cedars with other conifers at the back and, in front, several different acers, camellias, dark leaved hazels, abelias, heaths, hydrangeas, penstemons, hellebores and a Viburnum davidii. There were also beds with colour contrasts including gold and red with dark green leaved shrubs.

The sloping path led towards the house with its terrace. There were potted begonias, a small fountain in a shallow stone cup with stones round in the pond underneath. We saw cannas, agapanthus, fuchsias, crinums bright with colour in the surrounding beds. From here you look across at a splendid bed of perennials with, at the back of the bed, a special late-flowering white rhododendron in full flower. Mr Williams tries to extend the flowering season with his planting here, for example hibiscus to give autumn colour and a mixture of perennials. Also seen here are tree peonies, the late flowering pink magnolia ‘Star Wars’, a deodar cedar and groupings of hosta, alstroemeria and crocosmia.

A wide grass swathe below the house sloped down towards the large pond surrounded by pampas grass with flowering heads removed, their distinctive leaves looking dramatic. Beyond is a newly planted quarry with raised beds & small trees and shrubs. The area is surrounded by oak, sycamore and sweet chestnut in an outer circle. Taking a lower route back we saw effective planting for shapes and colours of the trees and their foliage including a Cryptomaria japonica and two deciduous conifers - a golden metasequoia and a taxodium, the swamp cypress.

End of Season Lunch at Endsleigh

What a treat! Twenty four members and guests enjoyed an end of season celebratory lunch at Hotel Endsleigh near Tavistock on 18^th October. The hotel stands high above the river Tamar and looks across from Devon to Cornwall. The setting, views and gardens are a delight.

A delicious 3-course lunch followed drinks and chat around the bar in very elegant surroundings. Well done Endsleigh for providing a warm welcome, good service and seriously good cooking. Our chairman, Angela, was thanked for masterminding and organising such a varied programme of visits during the year and a floral tribute was presented to her and Michael to congratulate them on their golden wedding anniversary.

Then, after coffee, petits fours and a slackening of waistbands, the party met up with Simon Wood, head gardener, and headed outside into the autumn sunshine for a guided tour of the wonderful gardens. Endsleigh was one of Sir Humphrey Repton’s last projects towards the end of his career. A facsimile of a ‘red book’ he produced for Endsleigh is on display in the hotel. Simon, a local, boy and man, has an intimate knowledge of the gardens and proved an interesting and enthusiastic leader. A more detailed description of the gardens and their restoration will be printed in the 2013 Journal. The afternoon ended on a wave of bonhomie with some requests for another visit next year, perhaps in May when the garden will be looking particularly beautiful.

 

Talk at Ladock “Yesterday and Today”

The Trust is most grateful to John Lanyon for having found the time in his busy schedule to deliver a talk on 27^th September at Ladock village hall. Around thirty members and a few invited guests from The Mermaid Centre at Treliske Hospital enjoyed an illustrated talk on some National Trust gardens ‘Yesterday and Today’. John has kindly agreed to reproduce his talk as an article for the 2013 Journal. It will be a hard decision which of his fascinating collection of photographs to include. Thank you, John.

Thanks also to Jean Marcus, Ianthe and Peter del Tufo and helpers for providing and serving a delicious cream tea.

 

Remembering Endsleigh Cottage

The trip to Endsleigh Gardens brought back happy memories for one CGT member, Claire Leith. She writes “For many years now I have known Endsleigh Cottage (as it was called by the Bedfords). With my four school-aged children, I had a cottage in Kellacott near Broadwoodwidger across the old A30 from Milton Abbott – the nearest village to Endsleigh which was then a fishing hotel probably still owned by the Bedford Estate.

From our old cob cottage at Kellacott we had the most stunning views over marshy fields with curlews calling to the Tors of Dartmoor and the nearest, Brent Tor, with its church. We used to explore the countryside by bicycle and I think our first knowledge of Endsleigh came on a trip to the market garden behind the estate. However our introduction to Endsleigh was not this way, but through friendship with the head of a solicitors firm at Launceston. His father, or maybe grandfather, used to manage this Devon property for the Duke of Bedford and I suppose the firm still does. So it came about that, on and off and during the school holidays, our friend kindly took us on the odd car trip which sometimes ended up on the terrace of Endsleigh which was then used as a fishing lodge. There were a few other people there, presumably the guests. We enjoyed the views and the teas although my children often used to grumble about the small and very thin cucumber sandwiches! Finally, my last well-remembered introduction to Endsleigh was before the authorised tea or visits. I was with my second daughter exploring the area and we needed to cross the river Tamar. We chose a low water point and proceeded to paddle across. We had a haversack on our backs, dresses hitched up and wooden staves to help us on the flat but very slippery stones. When in mid-stream we heard a zooming noise and were accosted by a gamekeeper on his motor bike shouting at us. What were we doing, had we been fishing? No arrest was made but he went off disgruntled!”

 

CGT Supports Mr Bloom in Cornwall

If you don’t have very young children, or grandchildren, you are probably not aware of the phenomenon that is Mr Bloom’s Nursery. Mr Bloom and the Veggies, including amongst others Margaret the Cabbage, Raymond the Squash and my personal favourite Sebastian the Singing Aubergine! In case you hadn’t guessed it’s a Children’s BBC programme aimed at the under 5’s and this summer they went on a road trip, and one went weekend in August they arrived in Redruth. I was approached by the BBC to see if the Gardens Trust, along with other organisations including the Eden Project, Newquay Zoo, Bumble Bee Conservation Trust etc. would be prepared to send some volunteers and organise some activities to support the Mr Bloom Live Show. After a few hurried emails and phone calls we decided on tissue paper flowers, cress seed trials and butterfly feeders made from plastic cups and cut up bin bags.

To say it was a manic day would be the most massive understatement – we only attended on the Sunday but over 3500 people came through the door. I don’t know how many tissue paper flowers we made that day but I suspect Ianthe and Peter were making them in their sleep, I know I was.

The brains behind the activities, Jennie, can be seen here helping with the construction of a butterfly feeder – one of what felt like several dozen, I’m telling you we should have the best fed butterflies in the country! Apparently over the two days nearly 8000 people came to see Mr Bloom Live, who would have thought singing vegetables could be so popular! If you’ve got access to the internet, type Mr Bloom’s Nursery into Youtube, or it may be available via BBC iplayer, and go ahead and ‘meet the veggies’.

Our activities were certainly popular, and would be a great way of attracting the attention of families if we were to do any other events - for example the Spring Flower Show at Boconnoc or even the Royal Cornwall. It would be a great way of publicising our existence to a new generation of garden lovers.

A massive thank you to Jennie, Peter and Ianthe. (Claire Hewlett)

 

AGT AGM and Conference 2012

As the hosts of the AGT 2012 Annual Conference, Avon Gardens Trust treated CGT members to a perfect weekend in Bath. They even had the weather well under control. Entitled ‘Polite Society’, the conference explored the changing landscape designs of the 18^th century. Badminton, Prior, and Dyrham Parks looked their best in the gentle beauty of the early autumnal sun. Excellent speakers and very good food led many hardened conference goers to consider it to have been among the best. There was of course, business to attend to before the fun could begin. Mrs Gilly Drummond was re‐elected as Honorary President. Mrs Steffie Shields (Lincolnshire Gardens Trust) was elected as Chairman of the Committee of Management, and Mrs Elaine Taylor (Lancashire Gardens Trust) was elected as a Trustee. Mrs Sally Walker stood down (at the end of her three year term) as Chairman. Steffie thanked her for her hard work, in particular her role in setting up the Historic Landscape Project.

 

2013 promises to be one of the most memorable years ever, as the wonderful RHS Chelsea Flower Show celebrates its 100th anniversary at the Royal Hospital. May 21^st to May 25^th.

 

 

Ash Tree Dieback The fungal infection Chalara fraxinea, which has ravaged other European countries and now spread to the UK, causes leaf loss and crown dieback in affected trees. It kills 90 per cent of the trees it affects. In the UK there are an estimated 80 million ash trees, taking up around 30 per cent of woodland across the country.To find out more about Chalara dieback and its symptoms, go to the Forestry Commission www.forestry.gov.uk/chalara and the Woodland Trust bit.ly/Pmf73K and check your Ash trees

 

and finally…….

David Pearce, Cornwall Gardens Trust 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 by snail-mail or preferably by e-mail to [email protected]