Winter 2009 / Spring 2010
CORNWALL GARDENS TRUST
NEWSLETTER
Winter 2009 / Spring 2010
Editor DFJ Pearce
Registered Charity Number 800887
Message from the Chairman
Dear CGT Member,
I hope that all CGT members have succeeded in keeping warm and safe throughout the recent cold - and dangerous - weather conditions. Now it is time to show faith in the possibility of there ever being a spring or summer by signing up for the varied and interesting garden visits that have been organised throughout the season with Jill Carpenter’s help. Last year’s visits proved to be especially enjoyable and are always a pleasant way of meeting members from different parts of the county over a cup of tea, and of having the opportunity to buy one or - maybe two - interesting plants. Perhaps members may also know of some gardens in their area that would welcome a CGT visit, if so please let me know.
There have been one or two changes in staffing our various departments. Trish Gibson has now handed over the Chair of Recorders to Ianthe del Tufo as she is very busy with editing the Journal. Ianthe has got off to a flying start by organising a Recorders’ meeting and lecture on April 14 to coincide with the AGM at Pencarrow and to which all members are welcome. The topic of the lecture by Ann Reynolds will be ‘Cultural and Historical Aspects of Trees in the Landscape’. We also welcome Claire Hewlett who has taken over from Jan Bright as Education Officer. Jan is to be warmly thanked for having inspired - and implemented with her team - no less than twenty six Primary Schools’ garden projects, and together with Claire initiated the trial Secondary Schools’ gardening scheme at Sir James Smith’s School, Camelford.
We have continued to fund Duchy College students at Rosewarne. This year the selection process was undertaken as usual with the help of the tutors at Rosewarne but for the first time it was done in conjunction with the Cornwall Garden Society so that the bursaries were fairly divided between deserving students. Both organizations receive applications from many potential students of varying ages, all of whom wish to contribute to horticulture or garden design in the county but who for valid reasons find it hard to accumulate sufficient funds.
Finally, I should like to thank Jean Marcus very much for her excellent organisation of our Christmas lunch at Trelissick Barn. This year we had something to celebrate: twenty one years since our foundation in 1988, and so we were very pleased to welcome Janet Anderson, Chairman of the Devon Gardens Trust and Clare Greener, the ex-Chairman, as well as members from other significant Cornish associations to join in the celebrations. Not only did members and their guests enjoy a delicious lunch but we were also given food for thought. Steven Desmond, a noted landscape consultant, informed and entertained us on the intriguing subject of ‘Godolphin: A Great Garden of 1580?’ Godolphin is a special place for many people and Steven, without being dogmatic, imparted some very feasible ideas as to the garden’s antecedents and how such important models had contributed to its formation. There will be an article by Steven on this topic in the Journal. Sally Walker, AGT Chairman, rounded off the day’s proceedings by giving us a brief talk on the work of the Association which reminded us that we are not alone but are part of a country-wide, thriving institution.
Happy New Year, and best wishes, Angela Stubbs.
CGT 2010 Programme of garden visits………
Thursday March 11th Scorrier House, Scorrier, Redruth TR 16 5AU 2.30pm
These extensive formal gardens surround the fine Georgian house and are set in parkland with a walled garden, a long camellia wall and many magnificent rhododendrons and magnolias, together with some interesting old buildings. Mrs Williams has kindly invited our members to tea in the house.
Wednesday April 14th AGM Pencarrow, Washaway, Bodmin PL30 3AG 1.30pm for 2.00pm
Members attending the AGM may visit the beautiful gardens and grounds before or after the meeting. A donation for this would be appreciated.
Wednesday April 28th Rosteague, Gerrans, The Roseland TR2 5EF 10.30am
Beautifully positioned gardens - including a walled or French Garden c.1700 with four parterres and a nineteenth century ‘beehive’ summer-house - set round the historic house. There are extensive lawns and sea views over Gerrans Bay. Members will have the opportunity to visit the adjoining bluebell woods. Coffee and biscuits will be provided.
Friday May 7th Treventon, Union Hill, St Columb Major TR9 6AR 2.30pm
A well hidden town garden of 1.5 acres originally laid out in 1860 round a Sylvanus Trevail granite house. The current owners are restoring terraces, paths and ponds, and renewing and invigorating the planting schemes. There is a woodland walk and an old kitchen garden. Tea and cake will be provided on the terrace.
Wednesday May 19th Ken-Caro, Bicton, nr. Liskeard PL14 5RF 2.00pm
A modern plantsman’s garden of five acres superbly developed and landscaped by its owners since 1970 and with panoramic views over the countryside. It offers a wide range of complementary and colourful plantings in sweeping island beds set off by shrubs and water features, and is surrounded by meadows and woodland walks which can also be enjoyed. It is hoped that, although Ken-Caro is for sale at present, the garden will be open for members and tea will be provided at St Ive Church.
Wednesday June 9th St Dellan, St Loy Cove, St Buryan, Penzance TR19 6DH 2.30pm
Large gardens sweeping down to the sea afford stunning views over to the Lizard. There is an arboretum, a rose-covered terrace and interesting, colourful plants nurtured in the warm microclimate. Members will have tea on the terrace at the neighbouring Cove Cottage, St Loy, and can enjoy its exotic garden overlooking the cove.
Friday July 2nd Bodlowen, Bounder Treath, Coverack TR12 6TP 2.30pm
A very well-designed plantsman’s garden, full of interesting shrubs, roses, herbaceous planting and organic vegetable beds. Tea will be offered on the veranda at Water’s Edge, North Corner, Coverack, a very compact terraced garden designed by its artist owner and which overlooks Coverack Harbour.
Wednesday July 14th Tresillian House Grounds, Newquay TR8 4PS 10.00am
20 acres of formal gardens and orchards complementing Tresillian House and which include a magnificent Victorian walled garden still traditionally maintained. The tour will be conducted by Mr John Harris, the Head Gardener, who is well known for his broadcasts on Radio Cornwall. Coffee and biscuits will be offered in the barn.
Saturday September 4th Buck’s Head, Trengove Cross, Brill, nr. Constantine TR11 5QR 2.30pm
A beautifully designed and colourful modern garden planted within granite walls round an old house. A new arboretum is being established with many varieties suitable for its hillside location. Tea will be taken in the garden.
Please use the booking form to reserve your place on these visits. If you have mislaid your booking form, please contact David Pearce for a further copy.
Christmas Lecture and Lunch
Almost 50 members, guests and friends braved travelling on a very wet day to attend a splendid Christmas event at Trelissick in early December. Guest speaker, Steven Desmond, delivered a thoughtful and very entertaining lecture on the origins of the garden at Godolphin.
A vote of thanks was given by Pam Dodds. This was followed by a convivial lunch after which our invited guests, Sir Ferrers Vyvyan, Elizabeth Bolitho, and Sally Walker, chair of AGT, helped to cut the celebratory 21st birthday cake. A raffle of some wonderful glossy garden books gave those present the opportunity to win a real treasure.
Members have kindly let us know how much they enjoyed this event, so we hope to run a similar one next year. If anyone has any suggestions for a speaker or subject, please contact the Editor.
P.S. Steven Desmond features in this month’s (22nd January) edition of Country Life writing on the life and gardening style of Gertrude Jekyll.
And - if you missed Steven Desmond’s lecture at the Christmas/birthday lunch, he’s writing about Godolphin for the Journal.
News from the Recorders’ Group and Invitation
All members are invited to attend the Recorder’s Meeting which takes place at Pencarrow at 10-30 am on Wednesday April 14th; this is prior to the AGM. It will take the form of an illustrated talk ‘Cultural and Historical Aspects of Trees in the Landscape’ by Ann Reynolds of the CCC Historic Environment Service.
This is a good opportunity for members to meet the Recorders and to find out at first hand the work involved.
Fundraising
The trustees are looking for a keen volunteer to take on the job of fundraising for the trust. If you are interested in doing this, or know of anyone who might be prepared to take on this task, would you please contact either Dr Angela Stubbs (01326 250092) or Peter del Tufo (01326 231339) to find out more about what this role entails.
GAD forms to enable recovery of tax
The Treasurer, Peter del Tufo informs us that in these recessionary times our income is significantly reduced so, if you pay UK income tax, we would strongly request that you sign and return a Gift Aid Declaration (GAD) form. This will allow us to claim tax off the Government. Those who have been identified as not having signed a GAD form will find one enclosed with this newsletter together with a personal request.
Expense claims
The trustees are keen to ensure that no-one should be out of pocket when carrying out work for the trust, and encourage members to submit claims for the reimbursement of expenses. A simple claim form can be provided to assist with this, and the form can be sent to you either electronically or as a printed form on request.
So that the Charity Commissioners and our accountants can be satisfied that the trustees are accounting for funds in an appropriate manner, would you please ensure that all future claims for mileage allowance and fuel costs are accompanied by a list that gives details of the dates, meeting etc location, and the miles travelled. Claims for other items should be supported by appropriate receipted invoices. Claim forms together with the supporting list and invoices should then be sent to our Treasurer Peter del Tufo for authorisation and payment.
The Small Grants Scheme
The CGT Small Grants Scheme still continues to offer small payments to help county primary schools and also students at Duchy College. Awards are considered in detail by the Finance and General Purposes Committee acting on behalf of the Council of Management. During the past three months, the following sums have been awarded:
- a grant of £200 to St Francis C of E Primary School at Falmouth to help them with their plans to develop a native wildflower garden area in the school grounds.
- a grant of £360 to The National Trust to pay for the manufacture of interpretation boards and display material to give details about the Tudor garden that has been created by the pupils of St Newlyn East primary school at Trerice Manor near Newquay. An award of £300 was previously made to the school in 2004 to help start their garden project.
A further grant of £200 has been awarded to a student at Duchy College, Rosewarne to help with the purchase of books and materials needed for the final year of the course.
Peter Fairbank
Flower Growing on the Isles of Scilly by Douglas Ellory Pett published November 2009.
This limited edition book gives the history of the industry and is based on the Tresco Abbey Archives with a check list of daffodils, giving a full and meticulous record of the trials made by T A Dorrien Smith between 1881 – 1887, together with the marketing statistics for 1931 – 1950.
There are 124 pages with six colour plates and fifteen black and white illustrations with pictures from the Gibsons of Scilly collection. The book is soft-back, measures 214mm by 230mm and is available at the cost of £15.00 plus £4.00 postage and packing. It is obtainable from Mary Pett at 23, Polsue Way, Tresillian, Truro TR2 4BE (telephone 01872 520573).
If you are interested in taking on any aspect of the trust’s activities - don’t hide your light under a bushel - please contact our Chairman, Angela Stubbs on 01326 250092.
Remember – Many hands make light work!
AGT Annual Conference 2010
Later this year this will be held on the Isle of Wight and takes place over the weekend of 1-3 October. Visits will include Osborne, Northcourt (a 15-acre EH registered garden surrounding a Jacobean manor house owned by John Harrison, former Treasurer of AGT and organiser of the IofW conference, where some lucky members will be able to stay), and Ventnor Botanic Gardens. Also on the agenda is Mottistone Manor – a NT property featuring a new garden around a C16 manor, Woodlands Vale – a Victorian coastal property designed by Samuel Teulon, Lake House – a walled garden restoration and Carisbrooke Castle to see the Princess Beatrice garden designed by Chris Beardshaw in 2009 for EH.
John would like to know well in advance if you are thinking of going so that he may gauge how much accommodation to secure. You can get more information from John Harrison at [email protected] or on 01983 740415. These weekends are most enjoyable and everyone is very friendly. So maybe see you there?
also
Wentworth Castle Heritage Trust is holding a conference entitled ‘Jacobites and Tories, Whigs and True Whigs: Political Gardening in Britain c.1700-c.1760’ during August 6th-8th 2010. For further details including residential options please e-mail [email protected] or telephone 0113 230 4608
Alice in Wonderland
Antony House at Torpoint is opening earlier this year in anticipation of the large numbers expected to arrive and check out the house and gardens which featured in the recent Walt Disney film of Alice in Wonderland. Visitors will see the transformed garden and be able to join in the Alice related events and activities – a unique and quirky experience - as well as visit the adjoining Woodland Garden. For further details either e-mail antony@national trust.org.uk or ring 01752 812191.
CGT Website
Have you visited the newly laid out and easily accessible website? If you have, you will see the website now has a page for News Items, so if anyone has any bits they wish to advertise before, or in addition to, the regular Newsletter, (seen in colour on the website), please send your contribution to the CGT Secretary - [email protected]
Many thanks
to those who enquired and offered help during my knee replacement operation. I am now fully recovered and look forward to digging the garden once more as soon as the weather permits!
David Pearce
And finally…….
David Pearce, Cornwall Gardens Trust Newsletter editor, is happy to receive short articles of information from members for publication in future Newsletters. These may be on any garden related topic, technical, personal experiences, humorous moments, cartoons etc. Please send articles to Sweet Thymes, Rose, Truro TR4 9PQ either by snail-mail or preferably by e-mail to: [email protected]