Cornwall

Late Spring is a good time to visit this lovely corner of England - the sun grows warmer, the days longer, and the cliffs, footpaths, and hedgerows become magically clothed in a tapestry of wildflowers.

In some areas "white" blue bells outnumbered blue ones, which is something that I have never witnessed before. I checked them out and all were happily our native Hyacinthoides non-scripta, and not the Spanish ones.

We stayed in a gem of a hotel situated in its own 8 acre sub-tropical garden.

View from the glass dinning-room terrace across the garden.

The view we enjoyed from our balcony looking towards the coast

We were just a few days too soon to see the Paulownia Tomentosa - foxglove tree in full flower which sports an aroma akin to that of Parma Violets.

The Wisteria was newly open and

the Ostrich ferns with their vibrant green leaves and rust coloured sheaths were unfurling. 

Following our  arrival and refreshed courtesy a cup of tea, we set off along the winding pathways which head down towards the coast. We walked beneath these Gunnera Manicata - 'giant rhubarb' plants, whose two metre wide leaves fan out from tall thick, spiky trunks, along with their large flower heads.

Tree ferns - Dicksonia antartica

Scattered throughout the garden these tree ferns were originally cut down and used as ballast on returning ships from Australasia. The stumps were thrown overboard as the ships came into dock in neighbouring Falmouth harbour, and were then replanted in this garden. They only grow around 2.5cm, a year on average and the largest in the garden are now aged between 180-200 years old.  

Do join me in another garden soon 🌸