There was a brief lull after our first garden visit of the year from the Cornwall Hardy Plant Society, and then we got going on our busiest, most manic period, as we started to prepare the garden, bursting with growth and colour, for the big NGS opening on June 30th. Before that though came a delightful visit from a coachload of enthusiastic gardeners from the Falmouth Garden Club. The picture of some of them having tea in the courtyard shows them looking up at the swallow’s nest by the back door.
Last year, in a fit of fresh endeavour , we had committed to showing sculptures around the garden for the NGS opening, and they all had to be collected from the really helpful artists who had embraced our idea, and loaned us their work to display.
So on a rare day away from Rupert (he was having a minor operation on his leg) and on the brightest day of the year so far, we drove around Cornwall like a couple of true holiday makers, from Feock to the Lizard, and on to Marazion to collect works from Reece Ingram, Samvado and Joyce van der Hoeven. To add to this, local artist Emma Hambley was to place some of her unusual glass work in the stream that runs beside the garden.
We also had a visit from garden photographer Carole Drake. She places articles on gardens and their owners in specialist magazines, and she started shooting at 5am to get the best possible light in the garden. She was lovely to work with and we very much look forward to seeing her work.
Before the NGS opening day we placed the sculptures around the garden, and the afternoon before Emma came to construct her idea of using glass floats by the bridge, a delightful surprise for visitors as they entered the garden.
The open day on June 30th was a big success with a gratifying number of visitors, warm dry weather (well maybe a wee bit of mizzle) , some lovely comments on the garden - that really did look great - and good and appreciative interest in the sculptures. Over £1,000 for charity was raised, and once again, even after all the hard work, from us and all the helpers, Teddy, Marcy, June, Maggie and Ian, and the cream-tea crew from Cornwall Hospice Care, it all felt fun, and worthwhile.
Now just a visit from a party from Austria and Germany to go, and if that is anything like last year it will no doubt be enlightening, and enjoyable.