I write in August and as the days shorten, the consciousness that“… summer’s lease hath all too short a date” leads inevitably to a reflection on what has been an extraordinary year in the garden. With its turbulent weather patterns, torrential rains and prolonged dry periods, including seven days in July with temperatures of more than 30C – over 86 degrees in old money – there seems to be no doubt that we are experiencing the effects of global warming.

In July, Professor Liz Bentley, Chief Executive of the Royal Meteorological Society, spoke at the launch of the State of the UK Climate 2020 report which ranked 2020 as Britain’s third warmest, fifth wettest and eighth sunniest on record, the first time that all three measures were in the top ten in the same year since records began in the 19th century. She predicted that with only another 0.3C of global warming, heatwaves reaching 40C would become a regular occurrence. What does this mean for our gardens?

This question was also addressed at the 400th anniversary celebration of the founding of the Oxford Botanical Garden, on land leased from Magdalen College for the creation of a ‘physic garden’ for teaching medical students, and now home to over 5000 plants used in research, teaching and conservation, and, happily, botanicals for the garden’s own brand of gin.

Its Director, Professor Simon Hiscock, pointed out that the garden may look substantially different in the future due to the impact of the climate crisis on British weather, and explained that the rock garden had been reconfigured “… to make it very much an eastern Mediterranean landscape.” Mark Gush, the RHS Head of Environmental Horticulture, who also spoke, placed climate change in a wider context, citing resilience as a quality that gardeners were prizing more and more: “It’s about coping with extremes. It’s not just about increasing temperatures – there could be severe cold snaps and extremes of water, drought and flooding. People should think about whether the emphasis is on adaptation or on mitigating a changing climate.” He warned that some classic English country garden plants might struggle and that it will be necessary to take a wider look at species that could better adapt. He also urged taking steps to improve soil quality, its drainage capability and ratio of organic matter and nutrients, to increase the resilience of trees and plants.

The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report, published in August, reinforced the relevance of beginning to think long-term as to its effect on our gardens.

Much food for thought; and a timely introduction to the first of our autumn lectures on Tuesday 12th October – Future Developments in Horticulture to Cope with Climate Changes – which will be given by Roy Broughton immediately after our AGM. I very much hope that this event will mark the return to something approaching normality and that we will be able to meet, as planned, in person.

RobertChairman

Cornwall Garden Society NewsletterNumber 88 September 2021

Affiliated to The Royal Horticultural Society • Patron: HRH The Prince of Wales • Charity No: 1094859 • Company No: 4504080

To make provisional bookings for day trips by coach and garden holidays, please contact Mary

Hutt, Bookings Secretary on 01872 863735 or via patfward@hotmail.com

To find out more about the CGS, please contact Jilly Easterby, Membership Secretary

on 07743 164434 or membership@cornwallgardensociety.org.uk

You can like facebook.com/ CornwallGardenSociety, follow @CwllGardenSoc

on Twitter and @cornwallgardensociety on Instagram, or 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); Hotel Endsleigh; Bob Brown; Noel Kingsbury; Penny Philp and Glenn Carwithen (Lerryn & District Produce Association Show) Middle Well and Anna Pavord.

Next Issue - If you would like to contribute to the December 2021 issue, please contact Jilly Easterby by 1st November on membership@cornwallgardensociety.org.uk or 07743 164434.

Chairman’s Corner

The Pleasures of a Day Trip by CoachFollowing our successful visit to Marwood Hill Garden and Upper Gorwellin June, 15 of our members enjoyed a visit to National Trust Coleton Fishacre and Middle Well Garden at Stoke Gabriel on one of the hottest days of the year in July.

At the D’Oyly Carte family seat of Coleton Fishacre, terraced gardens offered dahlia, penstemon, salvia, echinacea and actaea, and a rill for added interest. We enjoyed sitting in the shade at the viewing point, which provided a stunning vista over the valley garden and the bay below.

The creative hard landscaping at Middle Well, which included walled areas, a streamside garden and summerhouse, was impressive. The colourful plant combinations, including different varieties of hemerocallis and a wide selection of shrubs, roses and trees, delighted everyone, as did the warm welcome we received from our hosts, Neil and Pamela Millward.

Unfortunately, the visit to Burrow Farm Gardens and Prospect House in Axminster that we had planned forThursday 9th September has had to be cancelled. Although this would have been such a tonic after the dark days of lockdown, so few of you booked places that it was not financially viable for us to proceed. As we plan next year’s visits, we very much hope that members will feel more confident about supporting these events so that we may all enjoy some of the finest gardens in the south west.

Catherine McDonaldDay Trips by Coach Organisertaddymcd@hotmail.co.uk|01872 272800|07909 544931

Loving the LandscapeWhat is it about landscape that we find so beautiful? How does it comfort us and fill us with awe? Garden writer, Anna Pavord’s latest book, Landskipping, is a fascinating history of a peculiarly British fascination with landscape, shot through with autobiographical glimpses. On Sunday 26th September at 3.30pm in St Endellion Church, as part of The North CornwallBook Festival, Anna will be in conversation with novelist and gardening obsessive, Patrick Gale. They will not only discuss her book but a lifetime of garden writing, of coping with thegardening English and the challenge of conveying the beauty of the natural worldin mere words.

Anna is the long-standing gardening correspondent for The Independent as well as theauthor of many widely-praised books including The Flowering Year and internationalbestseller, The Tulip. She also contributes to Country Life, Country Living and Elle Decoration, and is an associate editor of Gardens Illustrated. For further information and to buy tickets for this event, visit ncornbookfest.org

Middle Well

Anna Pavord

2022 Spring Flower ShowWe remain hugely committed to delivering the 2022 Spring Flower Show. We have now been thwarted on three separate occasions by the Coronavirus pandemic but sincerely hope that is the end of it. This has not, however, dampened our resolve to stage an event that champions the breadth and depth of horticultural excellence and splendour that we have here in Cornwall. The Show Committee will commence preparations this autumn and fully expects to lay on a wonderful three-day celebration of spring for competitors, exhibitors, families and friends, commercial partners and supporters, next April. Gwenton flourys bys vykken!

Dickie TrantSpring Flower Show Directorshowdirector@cornwallgardensociety.org.uk|07530 920585

Pat and Margaret Wells Bursary Deadline

AGM and Lectures

Hotel Endsleigh

Further to our launch of the Pat and Margaret Wells Bursary in 2020 to support horticulture students and apprentices in Cornwall – thanks to the generosity of Clare, Helen and Brendan Wells in memory of their late mothers – this is just to remind you that the deadline for this year’s applications is 31st December 2021.

If you know of anyone studying or intending to study horticulture at educational establishments in Cornwall on a full- or part-time basis, in apprenticeships or other horticultural-related employment in the Duchy who seeks financial assistance in relation to course fees, travel expenses or other study- or work-related expenditure, please do encourage them to apply.

RobertChairman

Lerryn Produce Association Celebrates 70 YearsSelf-drive Visit with a DifferenceWe have something a little different for our autumn trip on Wednesday 15th September and hopeto lead you just over the Cornwall border, into the Tamar Valley, to the beautiful Hotel Endsleigh.

Owned by award-winning hotelier and interior designer, Olga Polizzi, it is set in an impressive 108 acres, overlooking the river and beyond. Come and enjoy the spectacular, and exceptionally long, herbaceous border, formal gardens, follies, grottos and arboretum.

Designed 200 years ago, this was one of Humphry Repton’s last commissions and brings togethera multitude of landscaping elements for which he was renowned.

We will be taken on a bespoke tour of the hotel’s grounds by the Head Gardener, Ben Ruscombe-King. Group numbers will be capped at 25 to ensure that everyone can benefit from his knowledge of the garden and ask questions as we walk.

To complete the tour, the hotel’s chef is preparing a special two-course lunch menu (included in the price of the visit) which we can enjoy in the hotel’s parterre if the weather allows, or in one of its dining rooms, if not.

The booking form and menu is available to download from the CGS website but do ask if you require a printed copy to be posted to you in order to reserve your place.

Elizabeth HarrisSelf-drive Visit Organiserelizabeth@boscrowan.co.uk|01736 332396

Lerryn & District Produce Association staged a successful show on Saturday 7th August with entries almost at pre-pandemic levels. The event was declared open by CGS Spring Flower Show Chairman, Andrew Leslie and as it was the Association’s 70th annual show, a beautiful celebration cake, decorated with fruit, vegetables and flowers, was cut byVanessa Leslie and enjoyed by everyone present.

Jean Piper was the recipient of the CGS Gold Medal Certificate for her glorious window box and the CGS Silver Medal Certificate was awarded to Marion Peters who won the two potato classes.

We congratulate the winners who will receive complimentary CGS memberships for 2022.

Alison AvardAffiliations Coordinatoraffiliations@cornwallgardensociety,org.uk

Bob Brown

Tuesday 12th October – The Alverton, TruroAnnual General Meeting at 7pmFuture Developments in Horticulture to Cope with Climate Changes by Roy Broughton at 7.30pm

Wednesday 13th October – Penventon Park Hotel, RedruthPlants for Year-round Interest by Ray Broughton at 2.30pm

Tuesday 9th November – The Alverton, TruroBrightening up the Garden in November by Bob Brown at 7.30pm

Wednesday 10th November – St Mellion International Resort, SaltashEvergreens by Bob Brown at 2.30pm

Tuesday 7th December – The Alverton, TruroWomen, Men and Gardening by Noel Kingsbury at 7.30pm

Wednesday 8th December – Penventon Park Hotel, Redruth New Ways with Perennials by Noel Kingsbury at 2.30pm

These lectures will be delivered via Zoom if Covid-19 restrictions prevent us from gathering in person.

Maureen BennettLecture Organisergardenermobennett@gmail.com|01326 377449|07779 155196

Clockwise, from top left: Jean Piper with her glorious window box; the Association’s celebration cake;Andrew and Vanessa Leslie officiate; and Jean Piper and Marion Peters with their awards.

Noel Kingsbury