The Carbis Bay Hotel. Luxury hotel near St.Ives, Cornwall

Cornwall Gardens Holiday

Enjoy a relaxing luxury holiday at the award winning Carbis Bay Hotel, while visiting some of Cornwalls most enchanting gardens with experienced Garden's host Martin G Catford, M.I.Hart.,F.I.L.A.M.,D.H.W.(Hons).

General: In 1834, Augustus Smith left his home at Ashlyns in Hertfordshire to take up residence on the Isles of Scilly as Lord Proprietor and leaseholder to all the islands where he stayed for 40 years. He chose Tresco as the heart of his 'Empire', and selected the site for his house where the old Benedictine Monks had previously a Priory.

It was a bleak, treeless south facing hillside, and he quickly realised the need for windbreaks. Shelter belts were quickly established on a grand scale to protect the first plantings of most exotic plants from the severe salt bearing gales that swept the Scillies so frequently, and by 1855 the terraced paths with interlinking steps were established.

The 17 acres of gardens were then developed across the south facing treeless hillside in a series of terraces carved out from the slopes. Augustus Smith soon realised that shelter on a grander scale was necessary if taller plants or trees of any tenderness were to survive, and so he started experimental planting of woodlands on the western side, and by the time of his death in 1872, he had produced one of the most remarkable Victorian Gardens in Britain - very much more formally planted than it appears today.

Tour of the Gardens: The helicopter lands about 100 yards from the new garden entrance, where a guided tour lasting approximately 1 1/2 hours will commence. There will be a moment or two for a quick comfort stop before the tour commences (but not for a lengthy 'girly' chat please!)

The New Visitor Centre, Gift Shop and Restaurant: This was opened in September 2004 and is a vast improvement on the previous 'el Tresco' eating facilities much enjoyed simultaneously by the wild birds! You will be returning to enjoy these facilities immediately after the guided tour, so there will be plenty of time to eat and to shop.

The Entrance Bridge and South African Garden: Was opened in September 2004 along with the visitor centre, and makes for an imposing entrance over a blue bridge and gently uphill between impressive rows of Protea cyranoides ("King Protea") the national emblem of South Africa, mixed with other southern hemisphere plants. Leading gently uphill from this entrance garden, the straight path takes you through a new pointed-top arch into the new Mediterranean Garden.

Mediterranean Garden: A one-acre garden designed by a lady from Morocco who won the garden design competition in a magazine, the garden took several years to complete. It was the first new section of the Abbey Gardens to be added for a century.

One of the two striking features is a bronze working sculpture of an Algave plant, sprouting water. This was made by Tom Leaper - a Cornish sculptor. The garden above this is comprised of several terraces on a hillside, it is a riot of colour and interest for most seasons of the year, the top feature of which is an open 'Shell House', delightfully rendered with a lavish coating of Caribbean shells by Lucy, wife of the current proprietor of the Gardens.

Top Terrace: The driest and warmest part of the garden - ideal to support the Protea collection along with many other plants from the Southern hemisphere.

Aloe Bed: Situated just below the top terrace, it was planted about 2001 through weed barrier sheeting, and support a surprisingly large collection of thriving Alloes from South Africa. The bed is mulched with white sparkling Cornish grit.

Lighthouse walk and Neptune Steps: One of the few paths which bisect the horizontal terraces which follow the natural contours of the garden. Old Father Neptune - a wooden ship's figurehead clad in cement to make him look like stone, sits proudly surveying the Lighthouse Walk which passes down through tall Quercus ilex ("Evergreen Oak") hedges, cut to near perfection by the incoming lucky students each year.

Gia: Goddess of Earth - a magnificent 1 1/2 ton sculpture by David Wynn, said to be carved in a likeness of his wife (who died after its completion) from a rare 5 ton block of South African marble from an extinct quarry, and found left in a Liverpool warehouse by George Harrison, one of the former 'Beatles'.

The Old Abbey: The only lasting structural reminder of the former Abbey of St. Nicholas Priory, founded in A.D. 964 and constructed in A.D. 1112 (good job it wasn't being built for the Olympics!).

The Well Garden: Because it was close to the Monastery, Augustus considered there would be water close by - and he was right. The Well has been planted with various ferns, and it was here that Augustus planted his first plant - an Agave Americana 'Variegata' ("Variegated American Agave"), as it is a very sheltered spot.

Valhalla: houses a collection of ships' figureheads - all wrecked on Scilly over the last 300 years. The open sided building was built especially to house them, and they are the responsibility of the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich to maintain.

Mexico: An area in full sun sheltered by cliffs, ideal for growing cacti.

Other areas to explore: The Palm Rock Garden; The Pebble Garden; South Africa Cliff; The Middle Terrace; The Fernery and East Orchard; The Bamboo Walk; The Long Walk; Cypress Rockery; The Hop Circle; and the West Rock Garden.

Please Ensure you make your way back to the Heliport 35-45 minutes ahead of your known flight time, as winkling you out from the bushes can be quite time consuming! Thank you!