A GARDEN for all SEASONS
And exotic Trebah in Cornwall is especially lovely in spring, says John Greeves
PEOPLE assume that winter brings an abrupt end to the gardening year, and that most plants will lie dormant until the warmer weather arrives in March or April. Luckily this isn’t the case for the sub-tropical garden of Trebah on Cornwall’s south coast, which offers an array of shapely and exotic plants to dispel that February gloom.
Sitting five miles south of Falmouth and set in 26 acres, this Cornish valley garden has more than four miles of footpaths to wander through which lead gently down to the secluded beach on the idyllic River Helford.
The garden offers visitors a yearround experience from the bold structure in the winter to the cascades of colour set around assorted pools in the summer. But in spring it really comes into its own as the “Rhododendron Valley” lights up with hundreds of species of rhododendrons in bloom in every hue.
The impressive garden reflects the work of its many notable owners through the years, which started with its first serious gardeners in 1838. They were Charles and Sarah Fox, a wealthy Quaker family who purchased the house, garden and the cove at the foot of the valley. Charles and his wife then set to work to create a garden in the south-facing valley. During his 40 years’ tenure, Charles oversaw the planting of a mixed shelterbelt consisting mainly of conifers and beech trees, as well as creating a network of paths. The estate then passed to his daughter Juliet and her banker husband Edmund Backhouse. Under the Backhouses’ ownership, the garden started to resemble what we see today, with the couple shipping in exotic plants and trees from all over the world.
In 1907, Charles Hawkins, who was the High Sheriff of Cornwall, and his wife Alice Hext bought Trebah. Aided
by a large team of gardeners the garden reached what is regarded as its zenith. Charles died in 1917 but Alice continued to develop it, increasing the rich diversity of plants and adding the Mallard Pond, which she stocked with pink flamingos. Alice died in 1939 and the outbreak of World War II ended this golden era at Trebah. The estate was inherited by a niece, who sold the house and the farm separately.
During the war a token staff did little more than maintain the garden. Then trenches were dug in the lower part of the garden, the boathouse was demolished and the beach overlaid with concrete to allow some 7,500 American troops and equipment from the 29th US Infantry Division to embark for Operation Overlord, otherwise known as the 1944 D-Day landings. A memorial at the bottom of the garden remembers these young soldiers, many of whom lost their lives in the operation.
Over the next 20 years, ownership of the estate changed five times until Trebah was purchased in 1961 by Donald Healey, the racing driver and car designer, who went some way towards its restoration by removing the concrete from the beach. Trebah was then acquired by Major Tony Hibbert and his wife Eira in 1981 as their retirement home. Major Hibbert was in the Parachute Brigade that held the bridge at Arnhem for 72 hours against overwhelming German odds, for which he received a Military Cross. Captured, and on his way to Germany in a lorry, he managed to escape and link up with the Dutch Resistance. At the end of the war he managed to revive his family’s gin company before retiring to this quiet spot in Cornwall.
Life was anything but tranquil though as the family undertook a programme of restoration work once they realised the garden’s true potential. It took them five years just to clear away the fallen trees, rubbish and accumulated neglect. But little by little it was cleared, replanted and
finally opened to the public in 1987, quickly building an audience. Since 1990, the garden has been a registered charity, The Trebah Garden Trust, and is open all year to 110,000 visitors who come from all over the world.
Trebah has many unique features. It’s situated on the Helford River and is in an area of outstanding beauty. Countless secret corners exist to be discovered at Trebah such as the Water Garden which was built around a natural spring that flows downhill through a series of pools and cascades. Visitors too might like to bide their time at the beautiful open-fronted summerhouse with its cob walls and thatched roof to enjoy the delightful flowers of the ‘Christmas Box’ Sarcococca confusa, along with other winter and spring fragrances. The garden represents the cumulative result of almost 200 years of horticultural endeavour in a particularly favourable spot. The National Tree Register has confirmed that Trebah contains some 9 champion trees, which are defined as either the tallest recorded living specimens in the UK or those having the widest girth. The rare evergreen tree commonly known as Chilean Tepa stands at an impressive height of 69 ft (21 metres). There is a Chusan Palm believed to be 150 years old (possibly even the first on these shores) from central China and standing at a majestic 48 ft (14.75 m) tall and the Dicksonia antartica, a species which dates back to the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods, is among this outstanding collection.
Indeed the topography allows for fantastic elevated and varied views as you make your way down into the garden. One minute you might wander under the great Chusan palm and the next find yourself halfway down in an area known as the Chilean Comb which has varied interest throughout the year. From here, you may carry on down to the Gunnera plantation and the hydrangea valley bordering the banks of Mallard pond before you come across Trebah’s private beach.
Many of the hydrangeas here continue to flower right up to Christmas.
Trebah has much to offer visitors as Darren Dickey, Head Gardener for over 20 years, tells me. “There’s always plenty to see in winter and spring including flowering shrubs such as the Sasanqua camellias, acacias, hamamelis, sarcococa and magnolias to name but a few.”
The mild maritime climate also enables Trebah to grow a wider range of more tender plants with flowering taking place earlier than elsewhere in the country. “Highlights,” Darren tells me also include, “winter flowering bulbs which carpet the floor under deciduous trees and include cyclamen, snowdrops and early flowering daffodils, with winter stem interest also in great abundance”.
Darren singles out the coloured bark maples such as Acer palmatum ‘Sango-Kaku’ and Acer griseum, which have a mix of stunning stem colours for winter and early spring brilliance. If this isn’t enough, there’s the striking cinnamon coloured bark of Luma apiculata and the jade green stems of Fuchsia excorticata just visible behind the peeling brown bark. Colour and interest abounds at every corner, with palms, Tree Ferns Scefflera and bamboos combined with layers of luxuriant foliage and even the surprising lingering fragrance of some early spring planting is enough to lift any February melancholy.
Whatever you are seeking – solitude, inspiration or dedicated spaces for children – Trebah sets out to ensure a true visitor experience.
One visitor summed up her contentment when she wrote, “A breathtaking walk around gorgeous gardens with plenty of places to sit, be still, reflect and wonder at creation.”
In the award-winning visitor centre, amenities include ample parking, a cafe, shop and toilets. The Trebah kitchen prides itself on always including fresh fruit and vegetables, wholegrains and seeds, many of which are locally sourced.
The shop also champions Cornish products, uses local suppliers and supports ethical practices. On sale are gifts and goods such as Cornish honey, jams and chutney, stone vases, children’s gifts, hand-made jewellery and even Trebah’s own handcream.
As I go to leave I think that Trebah is a Cornish marvel. As a visitor you feel this rich legacy and strong connection with those who have cared for this beautiful garden through the years as you explore a sub-tropical paradise. Darren and the team continue to build on this fine tradition and, by doing so, ensure that present and future generations, will enjoy a magical and unique garden for many years to come.
“With plenty of places to sit, be still, reflect and wonder at creation”
www.trebahgarden.co.uk
• Until February 28, Trebah is open five days a week (Saturday to Wednesday, closed Thursday and Friday). Beyond that dates, Trebah is open seven days a week.
• Trebah runs a changing series of family events, exhibitions and theatre performances. Many events take place in the open-air amphitheatre. trebahgarden.co.uk/ events