Trebah is in full Spring!
Everywhere you look at the moment things are bursting into colour; the bright orange of Berberis, the whites and reds of Rhododendrons, even the grass is decorated in pretty pinks and yellows of the primroses.
Many of you will be excited to see the Gunnera waking up from its winter slumber. The valley will no longer look bare and empty but instead is beginning to fill up with those familiar towering green stems.
Although our giant Magnolia campbellii is past its best, the garden is full of beautiful Magnolias in a range of pinks and whites wherever you look.
Tree fern trim
We’ve been working hard on creating space on the Chris Cross to allow our Acer collection to flourish. With some serious dedication and muscle from our garden team, around 8 tree ferns were carefully excavated from the area, opening up much more room next to the path. All the tree ferns will be re-purposed and some will be available to buy from our plant sales department.
Bam-BOO!
Is there a scarier sight than seeing the first shoots of Bamboo creeping further from your patch? We work hard at Trebah to maintain a controlled and interesting collection, with March signalling the start of our yearly prune.
We take care to thin out any weaker-looking, narrow canes of Bamboo to allow the bigger ones to thrive. Each clump is carefully looked after to keep bigger, better Bamboo returning each year.
You might have noticed a large area of Phyllostachys boryana has been removed near the stream. The patch sadly flowered and died, meaning any remaining canes had to be sawn down and chipped.
We are very selective about the types of bamboo we plant, most being clump-forming with minimal spread. We also use a buried, tough membrane which acts as a barrier below the service to reduce any crafty rhizomes from trying to escape outwards.
When you next walk through the Bamboozle you will notice some guards propped up in amongst our bigger Bamboo, Phyllostachys edulis. This is to deter the squirrels from eating the new shoots as they have developed quite a taste for them!
Extreme Pruning
The Hydrangeas are finally finished! The last week some of the team have been out finishing off the overhanging heads on Mallard Pond. It’s quite a tricky job done by boat but is one of the most exciting tasks we undertake. The boat is launched onto the pond and paddled by 2 gardeners who work together to officially finish the Hydrangea prune.
Falmouth Flower Show
If you paid a visit to the Princess Pavilions in Falmouth last weekend, you will have seen the wonderful display of flowers contributed to by gardeners and gardens around Cornwall.
Choosing and collecting material from the garden, we competed in many of the shows categories and can proudly say that Trebah received a collection of gold, silver and bronze awards.
The show is a fun way to show how much Cornish gardens have to offer.
If you are interested in seeing the wonderful displays and fantastic blooms, the Cornwall Garden Society is hosting the Spring Flower Show this weekend at the Royal Cornwall Showground. Look out for Trebah’s entry in the 9 vase display.
So if you’re ready for the valley bursting with vibrant colour, a hundred different shades of green, sunshine, and ice cream on the beach, head down to experience spring at Trebah – it’s worth it!
