West Cornwall: Tresillian House Garden
Posted Feb 24, 2004 - 11:06 AM
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Nr Newquay , Cornwall | Telephone: 01637 877447 | Email
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Step Back in Time... |
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Tresillian Walled Garden and Grounds
Discover and explore the grounds, woodlands, gardens, orchards, the lake and the delights of one of the finest Victorian Walled Kitchen Gardens in the South West.
Set in 20 acres of grounds, this privately owned and elegant
country house, provides a dramatic and imposing impression, as it breaks into
view, when approached by the eastern drive with its coloured borders interspersed with ancient granite staddle stones.
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Attractive and colourful shrubs and a herbaceous border surround the house with rolling well kept lawns stretching southerly towards the lake with its water loving plants - giant gunnera umbrellas, arum lilies, and bamboo galore, with green fields beyond.
The Woodlands
Our landscape suffered badly when the woodlands were damaged by the 1986 storm and devastated by the heartrending one of 25 January 1990. It has taken 8 years to remove the fallen trees and stumps, clear and level the site and replant. In aiming to restore the grounds as they would probably have looked over 100 years ago, we have planted over 15,000 trees. |
The Walled Kitchen Garden
"The first purpose of a garden is to give happiness and repose of mind". Hugh Johnson.
Never has so much manpower been devoted to horticultural display as in the latter half of the last century when these gardens were probably at their best, and the craft of gardening had reached its zenith. This garden, the centrepiece of the grounds, has survived until to-day, largely in its original state, and is a superb example of one of the few remaining walled gardens complete with greenhouse, potting shed and cold frames and planted with the traditional intermixture of fruit, vegetables and flowers, rarely seen today. The garden has been extensively re-created, under the supervision of John Harris, the head gardener, with the object of making the garden appear as it would have looked over a century ago.
On entry the first impression is of warmth and serenity, the
scent of herbs, sweet peas and other flowers in season fills the air. The heat
of the sun is retained by the high brick walls - if only they could talk! - which also act as protection from the wind.
Gravelled paths in the form of a cross, entered through classical arches draped with honeysuckle, clematis and roses, lead to a central bed of named culinary, aromatic and medicinal herbs.
Cordons of historic varieties of apples, peaches, cherries and pears are supported by the walls both inside and out, which are surrounded by espaliers of young and some very ancient gnarled apples and pears with moss covered trunks sprouting ferns. An interesting library of 70+ varieties of Cornish apples, grafted or original root stock pre 1800, was planted during the winter of 1993/4 with medlars and quince in the traditional diamond pattern.
"The Kitchen Garden, not planned for beauty's sake,
is often the most pleasing."
Highlights of the Gardens, month by month.
According to John, the head Gardener
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| April |
Camellias in profusion, at their best. Prunus and other flowering shrubs. Young beech and other leaves springing into life.
Daffodils, tulips and other spring flowering bulbs. |
| May |
Bluebells and wildflowers in woodland Green Walks. Orderly vegetables - red flowering broad beans, blue and red flowering peas and early Victorian potatoes. Apple blossom at its peak with a carpet of wildflowers in the Apple Library. Unique 5ft Cornish gooseberry standards. Paulowina (blue foxglove tree) and styrax (snowbell tree) in Camellia Walk. Don't miss the wistaria in the Kitchen Garden. |
| June |
Peaches on south facing walls and cherries on north. Victorian shrub roses. Honeysuckle and clematis. Victorian varieties of Sweet peas, not to be missed! - a riot of subtle shades. Black/red currants, gooseberries ripe for picking. Victorian white and pink flowering runner beans bursting at the seams! |
| Aug |
Apple, pear and fig fruits setting up. Scrumptious Blenheim orange melons in the greenhouse. Large flowering globe artichokes look most attractive when past their best for eating. |
| Sept |
Early varieties of apples, plums and peaches are ripe. Trees are beginning to don their autumn attire. Onions and other vegetables are ready for harvesting. Vast colourful pumpkins and vegetable marrows.
Rowan, elder and other berries. |
About John Harris
John Harris has been a horticulturist since starting as an apprentice
in 1955. He grows vegetables, fruit and flowers organically and by the lunar cycles. In the late 1980s, he was asked to restore the walled garden and grounds of the Tresillian Estate. The garden is now becoming a Mecca for all garden lovers who want to see how it looked in the time of Queen Victoria.
John has been on TV and is also a regular presenter on a garden phone-in on Radio Cornwall. |
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