GARDEN TO VISIT Caerhays
This picturesque Cornish coastal garden is full of exciting plants, says Louise Curley
Nestled in a Cornish valley, which tumbles gently down to the sea at Porthluney Cove, is the imposing Caerhays Castle. Its spectacular 140-acre woodland garden erupts with colour in spring, with large swathes of rhododendrons, camellias and magnolias bursting into bloom. However, this is not just an incredibly beautiful place to visit; it has also played a significant role in the history of plant cultivation. The castellated manor house was designed by Regency architect John Nash and completed in 1810 for the Trevanion family, which had owned the estate since 1370. The expense of the build contributed to the family’s financial problems and the house was put up for sale. In 1853 it was purchased by Michael Williams who’d made his money from Cornish mining; five generations later his family still lives here. Despite the long history of Caerhays, the garden is a relatively recent addition. It wasn’t until the last decade of the 19th century that then-owner John Charles ‘JC’ Williams discovered a passion for plants. Daffodils were his first love; the mild Cornish climate meant early crops of these cheerful blooms could be cut and sent to Covent Garden flower market. ➤
Despite the long history of Caerhays, the garden is a relatively recent addition
Williams’ interest broadened to the exciting new plant discoveries brought to Britain by plant hunters such as George Forrest and Ernest ‘Chinese’ Wilson, who were travelling to Nepal, Tibet and Yunnan in western China. Williams funded these trips in return for the precious seeds, which he grew on and nurtured. The acidic soil and Cornish valley microclimate – high rainfall, high humidity
The valley microclimate perfectly suits magnolias, azaleas and acers
and relatively mild winters – suited the magnolias, rhododendrons, azaleas and acers perfectly. The garden at Caerhays started to form, more a collection of plants than a planned and manicured space. Some of these original plants can still be found growing in the garden. Today visitors can wander underneath huge rhododendrons, with substantial trunks and snaking branches that are covered in a mass of flowers throughout spring, their falling petals covering paths with a layer of confetti. Daffodils and primroses emerge from the woodland floor and acers unfurl their colourful leaves. Ornamental cherries such as prunus ‘Kursar’ and P. incam ‘Okamé’ are covered in a froth of delicate blossom while unusual early-flowering shrubs, including edgeworthia and Corylopsis spicata, add to the breathtaking spring show. Magnolias steal the show in March – Caerhays is home to a National Plant Collection of these spring beauties, with many cultivars bred here. Camellias are another speciality; in the 19th century they were seen as plants only the wealthy could grow because they were tender and needed the shelter of a heated glasshouse. That’s until Williams crossed Camellia saluenensis, discovered by George Forrest, with C. japonica to create a hardy and extremely floriferous hybrid. This new camellia went on to be named Camellia williamsii, which has gone on to parent thousands of exciting new cultivars across the world. Caerhays is also home to more than 75 champion trees – those recognised as exceptional thanks to their size, age, rarity or historical significance. In the fernery, there’s an impressive collection of tree ferns more than 100 years old, together with the National Plant Collection of Podocarpus – a stand of P. salignus is said to be larger and taller than anything left growing in their native Chile, where deforestation threatens their survival. In fact the plant collections at Caerhays have become an important gene bank, so self-sown seedlings are being sent to Chile to repopulate areas where the native trees are under threat. The combination of this environmental work, horticultural history and the spectacular spring display of plants makes this a very special garden indeed. ✿
ACID LOVERS (clockwise from top left) Magnolias steal the show in March; some of the Victorian plants can still be found in the garden; Camellia japonica, azaleas and rhododendrons grow in abundance; Caerhays benefits from its Cornish valley microclimate