CGT visit to Fox Rosehill - CORNWALL GARDENS TRUST€¦ · CGT visit to Fox Rosehill Gardens 16th...
Transcript of CGT visit to Fox Rosehill - CORNWALL GARDENS TRUST€¦ · CGT visit to Fox Rosehill Gardens 16th...
CGTvisittoFoxRosehillGardens
16thJune2016
AlthoughsituatedonthesideofthemainroadthroughFalmouthtowardsPendennisCastle,thegardensatFoxRosehillarenotwellsignedandrelativelyfewpeoplestopandvisit.Thepublicprofileislessthanisdeserved.TheyareoneoftheearlysurvivalsofthehorticulturalandbotanicalworksoftheFoxfamily–indeedtheonlyFoxtowngardeninexistence,andtheyareoneofthegemsofFalmouth’sseveralmunicipalgardens.
LastyeartherecentlyformedFriendsofFoxRosehillGardensjoinedCornwallGardensTrustasacorporatemember.TheaimoftheFriendsistoraisetheprofileanduseofthishorticulturallyhistoricalVictoriangarden,tofundsignage,andtohelpfundplantstoreplacethosedestroyedasaresultofphytophthora.ThisvisitprovidedanopportunityformembersoftheTrusttoseetheissuesatfirsthand.
ThegardenswerebegunbyRobertWereFox(1789-1877)afterhemovedtherein1821.Hehadascientificapproachtogardeningandwasparticularlyinterestedinthe“acclimatizingofexotics”.Heplantedover300speciesoftenderforeignplantsaspartofthisexperimentation.Hisnephew,HowardFox,tookoverthesitein1872,whenhisunclemovedtoPenjerrick,andaddedhisownstamp–aMediterraneanstyle–withconifersformingabackdroptoplantingsofDraceaenas,thewholeprovidingaframeforinternalvistas.
In1944Howard’sdaughtersgavethelowerpartofthegardentothetownofFalmouth,thenorthernpartlaterbecomingpartofFalmouthArtSchool,nowtheUniversity.Forthelast70yearsthegardenshavebeenmanagedasamunicipalamenityandarecurrentlymaintainedbyCormac,underacontractwithCornwallCouncil.
Wewereveryfortunatetohaveaplethoraofexpertstoinformusaswewentaroundthegarden.FromCormacwereHowardBurnsandMattStannard,whoworkatthegardens;JacquiOwen,theirVisitorandCommunityEngagementOfficerforFalmouthTownCouncil,inpartnershipwithCormac;JeanCarrfromtheFriendsofFoxRosehillGardens;JonMitchell,PublicSpaceTeamLeaderforCornwallCouncil;OllieBennett,TreeOfficerforCornwallCouncil.InadditiontherewerethreemembersoftheFoxfamily.
Themainlawn
Withallthisknowledgeavailablefromsomanypeopleitwasnotpossibletohearallthateveryonesaid,andIdonotintendtotry.Fromtheentranceonecomesquicklyuponthemainlawnwithalovelyvistafringedwithspecimentrees,includinganironwoodtree(parrotiapersica)andatuliptree(liriodendrontulipfera),plantedin1916tomarkHowardFox’s80thbirthday.
Thehistoricimportanceofthegardenisreflectedinthefactthatinthissmallareatherearetwonationalchampiontreesoleariapaniculataandleptospermumscopariumandalsotwocountychampionscrinodendronhookerianumandeucalyptusdalrympleanaanda.Inadditiontherearemanyoftheconiferspeciesthatwereplantedinthenineteenthcenturyandtoday’sgardenerscontinuetoplantanew,suchasaNorfolkIslandpine(Araucariaheterophylla).
Therearescoresofotherinterestingtrees,ofwhichIwouldpickouttheleavesofalophomyrtusbullata(myrtlefamily)andaChileanlaurel(laureliasempervirens)withalovelysmellandaverypenduloushabit.
Laureliasempervirens
Nexttotheglasshouseatthenorth-westoftheGardens,whichisgivenovertocactiandsucculents,isaterracedareaofsemi-aridplantingandnearbyastunningdoryanthespalmeriwithleavesabout2.5m(8’)long.Ontheothersideofthegarden,formingthesouthernboundaryofthesite,isawonderfulcollectionofbamboos,whichprovidebothavisualshelterandawindbreak.
TheexoticplantingsofFoxRosehillweresomeofthefirstinCornwallandinspiredthebrandingofthe“CornishRiviera”bytheGreatWesternRailway.ItisinnosmallpartduetotheworkoftheFoxfamilyherethatseasidetownsthroughoutCornwallandDevonarefestoonedwithdracaenas,tracycarpus,phormiumsandthelike.
InadditiontothisFoxRosehillboastsalargenursery.Some44,000plantsweregrownherelastyear,supplyinggardensmanagedbyCormacthroughoutwestCornwall.Thereisalsoaneducationaloutreachprogramme,providedthroughpartnershipworkingbetweenCormacandFalmouthTownCouncil,involvesprimaryandsecondaryschoolpupilswiththeopportunitytotakepartininteractivevisitstogainadeeperunderstandingandappreciationofthegardens,theplantswithinitanditsheritage.
AfterourvisittotheNurserywemadeourwaydowntothePrincessPavilionforrefreshments.Beforehavingtherefreshments,tofurtherwhetourappetite,weweregivenatourofGyllyngduneGardens,whichliewithinthegroundsofthePavilion.ThegardenswerepartofaveryextensiverestorationschemeofthePavilionin2010/11.Our2012Journalincludesahistoryofthegardensandanarticleonapersonalexperiencerestoringtheshellgrotto,whichtheTrustassistedwith.Thelowergardensarematuringquicklyandfeelwellestablishedaftertherestoration,thoughwedidnothavetimetolookatthemindetail.
Thecenterpieceoftheuppergardenisthemagnificentbandstand,surroundedbybeddingplantsandsetinthemiddle
ofawell-maintainedlawn.Theverandahthatformstwosidesofthelawnenhancesthenaturalmicroclimate.
Undertheverandahahugelywidevarietyoftropicalandsub-tropicalplantsthriveoutsideallyearround,suchasthestrelitziareginae(below),aloes,clivia,agave,tibouchina,abutilon,sagopalm,albucanelsonii,oleaner,opuntia,pseudopanax,kalanchoe,lythrops,aeoniums,echiveriasandothersucculents.