Glendurgan Garden


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Europe » United Kingdom » England » Cornwall » Helston
January 10th 2011
Published: January 10th 2011
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A valley garden, established on the north bank of Helford River, is accessible by the bus No. 35, which runs between Falmouth and Helston. The garden is open Tuesdays and Sundays from the mid February to October.

The valley garden and holiday cottages in Durgan Village, which you can approach by the winding footpath on the garden, are managed by the National Trust.

Glendurgan garden is one of the historic gardens in Cornwall. In the 1820s, Alfred Fox was working for the shipping company based at Falmouth. While his company was exporting vehicles abroad, he became interested in plants in African countries, America, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand, and collected a huge variety of seeds and plants from foreign countries. Between the 1820s and 1830s, he designed the layout of the garden, planted loads of foreign plants and seeds, built the laurel maze, dug out the pond in the centre, and created the winding paths on the valley garden leading to Helford River. His descendants followed the layout and continued planting numerous foreign plants after he had died. In 1962, the last descendant, Philip Fox gave the garden away to the National Trust.

One of the Alfred Fox’s gardening layout is lines of native trees, e.g. Scottish pines, birches, and oaks planted on the edges of the garden. This has protected the valley harden from the cold snap and allowed an wealth of sub-tropical and tender plants, e.g. palm trees, banana, Mexican cypresses, and Japanese loquat tree to thrive. As you walk down the winding path, you will find the spot where New Zealand’s fern trees, bamboo trees, and giant rhubarb plants are densely grown like the Jurassic Park.

The Laurel Maze is over 150 years old. Alfred Fox designed it to make the visitors work hard to go through to the goal. Allow plenty of time to accomplish the journey.

The historical valley garden with a wide variety of foreign and nature plants offer seasonal landscapes throughout the year. Spring starts at the mid February. Snowdrops appear on the foot of the trees, soon afterwards, daffodils, crocuses, and anemones spread their carpets on the ground. Between March and April, camellias, cherry blossoms, and magnolias bloom and bluebells and buttercups spread their carpets on the lush parkland. From May to June, rhododendrons, lilacs and hydrangeas decorate the green space, and aquatic plants, e.g. water lilies opening over the summer period. Foliage of the nature trees, e.g. birches, oaks, maples, and fern trees gradually change their colours, e.g. gold, red, orange, and yellow from the end of summer to the late autumn


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