Photography by: Marianne Majerus
Description
Sitting peacefully in its idyllic countryside surroundings in remote south Cornwall, the garden at Tregarne had once been farmland and a marl quarry. Although the previous owners had installed a garden, it had been neglected and run down – the bones of the original design being lost behind enormous swathes of invasive bamboo, which had run into 3 neighbouring gardens.
Mature trees provide some shelter from the fierce south westerly storms, however many were diseased, dead or leaning dangerously therefore substantial treeworks were necessary.
Design Brief
The house is quirky and the clients wanted a unique, free flowing, quirky garden to compliment it. The brief was to remove the bamboo, secure and make safe the trees, and create an interesting garden that could be walked around with various places of interest and stopping points to enjoy. An obscured view to the sea was to be opened up. They wanted an environmentally and wildlife friendly garden using natural materials.
I was contracted to design the entire plot and oversee the installation of the design in total.
Garden Design
The various existing levels of the garden was a great place to start and a sub garden for each level was created. These areas are all linked by meandering pathways of bark or crushed slate (a waste product from local slate quarrying production). Surrounded and obscured by planting once mature, the intent is for a surprise reveal of these various areas.
Beautiful stone was sourced from local quarries to ensure the garden sits well within its surroundings. Construction was cement free apart from a small amount used on the driveway setts, and we repurposed as much on site as possible. Planting has increasing biodiversity and supporting wildlife at its heart with a variety of diverse habitats created including woodland, orchard, prairie, native hedging and bog garden. All beds are mulched with bark (half of which was from the chipped site tree works) to conserve water, reduce weeds and improve soil structure. Left over logs have been left to rot behind a stumpery.
The intriguing circle garden is home to chunky, reclaimed Devonport Dock stones, which resemble a giant’s game of ancient chess, abandoned for centuries and left to age. This is the most sheltered area of the garden and combined with Cornwall’s mild climate, allows for some unusual planting.
Overall, this garden has a playful and intriguing feel to it, with secret hidden areas surrounded by planting revealing themselves along the organic free flowing pathways throughout.
