My Favourite Place: Bosvigo Gardens, Cornwall
I grew up in Cornwall and used to visit Bosvigo almost weekly with my mum.
The garden encircles the house and is naturally and informally divided into different areas. Some bits are level, others are steep, and there’s a gorgeous old Victorian greenhouse. But the big thing is the planting.
It’s different to other Cornish gardens with their deep valleys filled with big-leaved, jungly plants.
The gardens that were famous when I was growing up were often grand, with a sweeping drive and collections of magnolias and rhododendrons. Bosvigo is not like that at all.
It’s in the classic English style, with hardy herbaceous perennials rather than tropical palms and tender things.
That’s why it stood out for us, and why I still love it. The passion of owner Wendy Perry really comes through.
Colour is everything at Bosvigo and it’s used with huge discipline and flair.
There are two small, themed areas near the house; one is yellow, blue and white, the other is pink and purple. They’re very pretty, but despite a conventional palette, they’re densely planted with really unusual plants and exciting combinations of colour and texture.
The hot border is away from the house up a slope.
It’s slightly shaded, but with plants that are usually found in full sun. There are reds, yellows and oranges offset by fresh green and quite a bit of black. It’s the most exciting bit of the garden for me, I get there and go, ‘oh wow!’
Even the in-between and tricky bits are interesting.
Last time I went I saw a bank covered with geranium ‘Rozanne’, it was a huge swathe of blue – devastatingly simple but incredibly effective.
I realised recently the influence Bosvigo has had on my gardening style.
I planted an area at St Timothee and then saw a picture of the hot border at Bosvigo: I’d been carrying it around in my head for years!
Bosvigo Gardens, Bosvigo Lane, Truro, Cornwall, TR1 3NH; www.bosvigo.com.