Online Open Garden Series - Trevoole

Online Open Garden Series - Trevoole

Due to the coronavirus lockdown, the Open Garden events for 2020 have been cancelled. In this online Open Gardens series, we will be speaking with the owners of the gardens we would have opened for our fundraiser so you can 'visit' digitally!
the round violet flowers of wild onions and sand leeks stand tall on their green stems like lollipops, rising above the bed of yellow chamomile below. In the background, galvanised pots lie artistically on a gravel lawn and trees stand tall behind.

Trevoole, a renovated farm and planters garden, was due to open to supporters this Sunday 19th July. The Open Garden would raise money for Cornwall Wildlife Trust as part of our annual Open Gardens series but due to coronavirus, has been unable to do so. This week, we speak to owner Travis, about how his garden has transformed, and what we loves about it.

How long have you lived in the house?

Trevoole Farm was purchased in 2002 in a near derelict state. Previous owners had farmed a mix of Dairy and market garden produce.

What have you done to the garden since living there?

Apart from the rear farmhouse garden everything else has been worked on and developed since I moved in. Being an old granite built smallholding the garden lends itself to traditional cottage garden plants and Roses etc.

Initial projects included the renovation of the farmhouse, next came the conversion of the barns into holiday accommodation. The income generated was used for the restoration of the outer buildings and gardens.

The lower part of the garden is comprised of a long border running down to a courtyard using troughs and galvanised pots to add colour. Behind the farmhouse is a shady garden and a bog garden behind the stable.

lush green vegetation grows aplenty in the bog garden behind the cottages. In the foreground, bracken and lush green vegetation spills forward whilst a monstrous giant rhubarb grows behind. An old iron bed frame can be seen amongst the plants which appears to have attracted trailing plants. Shades of green fill the image

If you make your way up through the long rosewalk leading you to the patchwork potager, a grass garden, herb garden and orchard. Next to the vegetable patch is the buzzing Bee border providing much needed nectar for the resident Beehives. The pond, long grass, random wood piles and garden waste all play a part in encouraging nature to thrive at Trevoole.

Over the years many people have helped Trevoole become a special place from holiday makers, tenants, friends and hardworking knowledgeable gardeners.

What’s happening in your garden now?

Currently the garden is thriving with the warm wet weather - the Rosewalk is heaving, the Bee border is now exploding. Lots of wildlife lives with us here at Trevoole, my favourite at the moment are the mother and baby woodpeckers noisily residing in the trees and feeding at the table. 

the bright purple spikes of a cardoon burst out from it's artichoke-like casing and shine brilliantly in the sunshine

What plants in your garden are doing particularly well? What tips do you have for others growing these plants?

We planted some leucanthemum in the meadow in the hope of creating a variety of plants other than just grass.  

What are your favourite plants in your garden?

One of my favourite plants is the Cardoon , they are about to flower their huge bristly flowers, the bumble bees absolutely love them. 

Why did you agree to be part of Open Gardens 2020?

I agreed to open my garden for the CWT purely to allow them to raise as much money for wildlife projects as possible. While we seem to be fighting a loosing battle to protect our planet at least some likeminded people are trying to make a difference 

 

How have you used your garden in the current crisis? Has it helped? If so, how?

My life has not changed a great deal due to Covid so I keep gardening at Trevoole for the same reasons as before , it gives me pleasure spending time in nature. 

Tropical scenes at Trevoole with blue skies and lush shrubs and trees
blue, purple and pink hydrangeas flower from one shrub in a beautiful display of colour
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Please help protect Cornwall’s wildlife and wild places

Thanks to the commitment of volunteers and garden hosts, Cornwall Wildlife Trust’s Open Gardens series raises much needed funds for our work, securing over £20,000 in 2018 alone. Due to the pandemic, these funds are unlikely to be raised in 2020, putting the future of our work at risk.

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