Glendurgan and Trebah revisited 2014
Living, as we do, 40 miles or so from Mawnan Smith, it is not often that we get to see the Helford River ravine gardens. However, a free pass to Trebah encouraged us that way and National Trust membership added Glendurgan. We had expected to prefer Glendurgan to Trebah and were surprised that it didn’t work that way. In the event we found Glendurgan a little colourless and short on views while Trebah seemed full of colour with many delightful views. Glendurgan’s prime feature must be its impressive and well-kept maze, best seen from the high path on the east side of the ravine. Trebah’s is the view north up the ravine from the beach end of the garden, looking across a small lake and past massed hydrangeas in the valley and mature trees on the slopes up to the house. In both gardens we set out on the high western path and returned first on the high eastern path and then on the low central path. In Glendurgan this allows you to see the Schoolroom Summerhouse, in Trebah you get to see the impressive new stone amphitheatre, built in 2014 and already the venue of the Miracle Theatre’s production of ‘The Tempest’. We concluded that the essential difference between the two gardens is that Glendurgan is presented ‘take it ot leave it’ while Trebah is very much a commercial enterprise with shop, plant centre and a good large restaurant/caf�. As members we would like to prefer Glendurgan but have to plump for Trebah.
Glendurgan's banana plant
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Glendurgan Garden
Cornwall's south coast is full of sub-tropical valley and ravine gardens, many created by the Falmouth Quaker ship-owning Fox family. Glendurgan was the work of Alfred Fox, nearby Trebah of Charles. Glendurgan's 40 acres run down a valley to the tiny hamlet of Durgan (you can rent a National Trust cottage there) on the Helford River. Specimen trees and tree ferns are quite superb. In spring daffodils, primroses and bluebells provide good early colour; they are followed rapidly by giant magnolias, camellias and rhododendrons. Hydrangeas, other shrubs and wild flowers provide summer colour. There is a large maze of low laurel hedges. As ever with the National Trust, maintenance is immaculate. For a pub lunch try the Red Lion at Mawnan Smith or (at quiet times) the Ferryboat Inn at Helford Passage. Our preference was the Red Lion but the Ferryboat, after a change of hands, is now quite classy. Glendurgan has an alfresco tea shop and ample parking. The garden is signed from Mawnan Smith village, as is adjacent Trebah. If you are a spring garden enthusiast, perhaps you will make a day of the two. If you are interested in following up the Fox Quaker association try the charming Come-to-Good Meeting House near the National Trust's Trellisick Garden. Glendurgan revisited 2014
Headland Garden at Polruan (July 2020 - House for sale, garden closed)
We had intended to visit the remarkable Headland Garden at Polruan for a long time. It was only when we learned that the garden at Readymoney Cove would be open during Fowey's 2006 Daphne du Maurier Festival that we saw the chance to combine the two. We parked above Readymoney Cove (expensive), walked down to the garden there, then took the little passenger ferry across to Polruan to see Headland Garden. There has been a garden of sorts here since the house was built around 1900. However, what you see now was very much the creation of Jean and John Hill from 1974. How anyone could create a garden on so precipitous, rocky and exposed a site is almost beyond belief. But the result is quite remarkable, narrow paths - and it is said 500 steps - wind up and down the site, through surprisingly lush plantings, protected by Monterey pine, mountain ash, escallonia and euonymous. Exotics like mesembryanthemum, agave, aeonium, and aloe sprout from rock crevices. Red hot poker, osteospermum, hebe and the baby sun-rose all flourish. In spring primroses, foxgloves and bluebells grow wild. Views are ravishing - up the River Fowey, across the estuary to Fowey, Readymoney and St. Catherine's Castle.
Heligan Re-visited September 2014
We were lucky enough to have vouchers for free entry to Heligan and used them in mid-Septemer 2014. In a way we were glad that we didn't have to pay for entry as we were disappointed in several ways. We started with lunch in the restaurant before entering the garden. Ham and leek pie was cold and featured stringy ham. Salad was mostly thinly sliced, unidentifiable, tasteless raw vegetables. Only the potatoes were enjoyed. So to the gardens. We did the whole 200 acres, starting in the Northern Garden; with rhodos long finished, there was little colour except in the Sundial Garden, the Northern Summerhouse Garden and the Italian Garden. Little of the Flower Garden was worth seeing and only half the Vegetable Garden impressed. On to the Lost Valley; we were disappointed at how overgrown things were, for instance the water lilies in the above photo were hidden by spreading reeds. The charcoal burners camp was still well done as was a charcoal sculpture. We made our way back up through the Jungle, badly overgrown in places but with a nice rope bridge we hadn't seen before. Then, after tea in the Steward's House - over �7 for 2 tea bags in paper cups and a single scone - we returned to the Northern Garden for the Ravine. Here growth was rather scruffy and the path was very rough after the winter storms. Perhaps it was our mistake to visit in September; we shall return next Spring.