Garden Society Newsletter Number 82 March 2020 Affiliated to The Royal Horticultural Society • Patron: HRH The Prince of Wales • Charity No: 1094859 • Company No: 4504080

Chairman’s Corner O Spring has set off her green fuses Down by the Tamar today, And careless, like tide-marks, the hedges Are bursting with almond and may.

Many of you will recognise this verse from The Seasons in North Cornwall by Charles Causley, a poet of distinction who was born and brought up in Launceston, where he lived for most of his life, and whose poetry is infused with his love of the county. We will all have experienced spring ‘setting off her green fuses’ in recent weeks after what has been an inordinately long and dreary winter: gardens waterlogged, often cold and decidedly uninviting. What a pleasure it is that we are within weeks of that harbinger of spring, the CGS Spring Flower Show; and what a show it promises to be. I very much hope to see you there. Please don’t hesitate to nobble me, or members of our committee with any suggestions about the Show, or what we offer to you, our members.

Included in this mailing is our 2020 Journal. Thanks are due to Charles Francis, the editor, who has, yet again, produced an impressive edition full of fascinating articles. He has also made some changes to the layout, which, I hope you will agree, make it even more attractive. You will see that it contains a number of illustrated articles by last year’s recipients of the bursary scheme that we have established with Eden Project Learning. Eden Project Learning is part of the Cornwall College Group and provides degree courses at the Eden Project with the laudable ambition of being a centre of excellence for the study of horticulture.

The CGS bursary scheme provides modest financial support to encourage students at Eden Project Learning and apprentices at the Eden Project to broaden their experience of horticulture in ways that will benefit Cornwall’s wider gardening community. The applications that we receive are varied and have, so far, enabled students to take up short placements at Kew, the National Botanic Garden of Wales and much further afield as you will read in the Journal.

The originator of the scheme, Andrew Leslie and I interviewed applicants for this year’s bursaries in December, and were treated to a number of impressive presentations. The successful recipients will share their experiences with us in next year’s Journal, and possibly through our lecture programme, enabling us all to learn from their studies.

Enjoy the Show and bring your friends!

Sir Robert Owen Chairman Counting Down to our Spring Flower Show Have you bought your early bird tickets yet? At only £9, they represent very good value for money when you see all that we have in store for you.

Cornwall Garden Society Stunning Show Gardens, a Growing the Future marquee and exquisite botanical art from the Eden Project’s Florilegium Society are just some of the new features at this year’s celebration of Cornwall’s early spring.

Saturday 4th April, 10am - 5pm Sponsored by Atkins Ferrie Wealth Management and building on our Sunday 5th April, 10am - 4pm

The Royal Cornwall Showground, successful relocation to the county showground last year, there is even more Advance Bookings: to see and do for the whole family to enjoy, whether you have a window box, a cornwallgardensociety.org.uk/spring-flower-show flower border or a country estate. Sponsored by This year’s particular focus will be on protecting and enhancing the natural environment.

CGS_SPRING FLOWER SHOW 2020_A4 POSTER_V4.indd 1 11/01/2020 14:26:10 Show Gardens from The Lost Gardens of Heligan, Duchy College Rosewarne, The Eden Project, award-winning ecological gardener, Sid Hill, Gardens of Eden UK, gARTen and Bosence Community Farm will address themes of sustainability and re-wilding, encourage edible landscaping and stimulate the senses.

The Growing the Future marquee will help us make climate-conscious choices when planning, planting and maintaining our outdoor spaces, and inspire children to learn about nature and environmentally-friendly gardening. In the Junior Competitive Classes, creative displays of marine-salvaged plastic in boxes planted with flowers are encouraged to highlight the perils of ocean pollution. As a conservation charity, we are proud to be introducing new elements that will make a positive difference to the world we live in as well as nurture the gardeners of tomorrow. I hope you will enter the Competitive Classes, gather your green-fingered family members and friends, and join us for a weekend of flowers and fun. To book, visit cornwallgardensociety.org.uk/spring-flower-show or call Bradsons on 01749 813899. To enter the Competitive Classes, download the Schedule from our website, or call Rebecca Trant on 07766 680873.

Dickie Trant, Show Director [email protected] 07530 920585

News from the Cornwall Professional Gardeners’ Group

2019 was an excellent year for the Cornwall Professional Gardeners’ Group with opportunities to learn about a wide range of topics.

We ended the year with the sobering subject of Xylella, a disease that has the potential to be very damaging to our gardens and ‘black death’ for plants, both native and exotic. We must therefore be extremely careful when we introduce new plants.

Our hosts at the Eden Project cheered up a sombre day with a tour of their new Korean Garden. It is fascinating how many Korean plants we already grow and this area will be an interesting addition to Eden’s outdoor space.

By the time you read this, we will have enjoyed our Apple Pruning Day at Trerice. We look forward to our annual Head Gardeners’ Day and an in-depth Camellia Study Day at Trewithen in the months ahead.

These invaluable learning experiences for professional gardeners are made possible by you, the members of the Cornwall Garden Society, and we thank you wholeheartedly for your ongoing support.

Ben Probert Cornwall Professional Gardeners’ Group Cornwall’s Spring Story Key Dates APRIL

The zing of our own Spring Flower Show Magnolia campbellii CGS 2020 Spring Flower Show Many people do not fully appreciate how much Dates: Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th from 10am earlier spring arrives in Cornwall than in the rest Venue: The Royal Cornwall Showground, Wadebridge of . Tickets: £9 in advance for members or £11 on the gate; £10 in advance for non-members or £12 on the gate. Whilst there are lovely gardens to explore in the Under 16s free. Well-behaved dogs on leads welcome county throughout the year, a good time to visit cornwallgardensociety.org.uk/spring-flower-show or Cornwall’s spring gardens is when the magnificent 01749 813899 magnolias are in full bloom during the early part of the season.

The blooming of magnolia flowers often occurs around the beginning of March, but spring has sprung even earlier in the past few years thanks to some mild winters.

Cornwall’s Spring Story was founded in 2013 by Toby Ashworth of The Nare Hotel in collaboration with the Great Gardens of Cornwall: Trewidden, Tregothnan, Trewidden, Caerhays Castle Gardens, Trebah and The Lost Gardens of Heligan.

Spring is officially declared to have arrived in England the moment when all six champion Magnolia campbellii in the Great Gardens of Moyclare Cornwall have flowered with 50 blooms a piece. Self-drive Visit Four of these six magnolias were already in full Date: Thursday 9th flower on St Valentine’s Day. Venues: Moyclare, and Calamazag Plant Nursery, This year, spring was declared on Tuesday Organiser: Louise Thomas (07966 897561| th 18 February, more than a month before the [email protected]) astronomical first day of spring (20th March), and a great deal earlier than in the rest of Britain. Day Trip by Coach

nd Visit narehotel.co.uk/location/cornwall/ Date: Wednesday 22 bloomometer to find out when each of the Great Venues: National Trust Buckland Abbey, Yelverton and National Trust Saltram, Plympton Gardens of Cornwall reached their required Organiser: Catherine McDonald (01872 272800 or 50 blooms. 07909 544931|[email protected]) JUNE (continued) (continued) Key Dates Self-drive Visit MAY Date: Thursday 11th Venues: Bonython, and Cross Common Nursery, The Lizard Organiser: Elizabeth Harris (01736 33239| [email protected])

Garden Holiday Dates: Tuesday 23rd to Thursday 25th Venues: Highgrove and the Cotswolds Organiser: Julia Chant (01503 220081 or 07425 141871|[email protected])

Botallick

Self-drive Visit Date: Wednesday 6th Botallick, Lanreath and South Bosent, Liskeard Organiser: Michele Richards (01726 833654 or 07854 950464|[email protected])

JUNE

Highgrove

Self-drive Visit Date: Tuesday 30th (NB June not July as stated in the 2020 Events Guide) Venues: Hidden Valley Gardens, Treesmill and Tregrehan, Organiser: Elizabeth Harris (01736 33239| [email protected])

Marwood Hill Garden Affiliated Societies Day Trip By Coach If you are an Affiliated Society with a Show coming Date: Wednesday 10th up and would like to award a CGS Gold and Silver Venue: Marwood Hill Garden and Upper Gorwell Medal Certificate to your winners, please email House, Barnstaple your requirements to membershipsecretary@ Organiser: Catherine McDonald (01872 272800 or cornwallgardensociety.org.uk with as much notice 07909 544931|[email protected]) as possible.

Next Issue - If you would like to contribute to the June 2020 issue, please contact Jilly Easterby by 1st May on [email protected] or 07743164434.

To make provisional bookings for day trips by To find out more about the CGS, please You can also like us on facebook.com/ coach and garden holidays, please contact Mary contact Jilly Easterby, Membership Secretary CornwallGardenSociety, follow @ Hutt, Bookings Secretary on 01872 863735 or on 07743164434 or membership@ CwllGardenSoc on Twitter and Instagram, or via [email protected] cornwallgardensociety.org.uk visit cornwallgardensociety.org.uk

The CGS newsletter is produced by Curlew PR Limited and Nationwide Print. Copyright applies. Photographs are reproduced by kind permission of Charles Francis (Sir Robert Owen and 2019 Spring Flower Show), Lisa Prisk (Spring Flower Show poster), The Nare Hotel (Magnolia campbellii), Elizabeth Henslowe (Moyclare), Peter Bucknell (Botallick), Marwood Hill Garden and HRH The Prince of Wales (Highgrove House).