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).

The Garden: When Mr Robert Dudley-Cooke came here from Surrey in 1980, the garden was little more than a one-acre plot of rubbish and scrub on a steep and treacherous hillside. He set about clearing the mounds of Myrtle, Gorse , bramble and scrub himself to initiate the garden, and now this four-acre garden contains a large and excellent collection of sub-tropical and warm temperate plants - species which one would not expect to find on this particular hillside adjacent to the sea. Consequently there is hardly ever a frost - the last being in 1987.

The entrance garden emulates a Surrey garden to remind the owner of his roots, and is the only part of the garden on the level. It has a spectacular waterfall and pond, leading on to a lawn surrounded by densely packed shrub borders.

The patio terrace, backed by a magnificent Wisteria and Clerodendron, commands a wonderful view down to the sea and out to St. Anthony's Head Lighthouse. In the main, the remainder of the garden has been designed in the Italian style, with columns and other artifacts, where plants are packed together tightly. There are over 500 x Azaleas; 30 x species of Palms including Butia capitata ("Jelly Palm"), Eucalyptus, Yuccas, and in the warmest and most sheltered part of the garden: Puyas, 5 x species of Opuntia ("Prickly Pear"), Aeoniums, Agaves, Leucodendron, Proteas, and Cliva miniata ("Kaffir Lily") from South Africa. It is perhaps surprising that many of the above plants are to be found in a British mainland garden.

In addition, there is also a splendid example of Embothrium lanceolatum ("Chilean Fire Bush"), Clematis armandii, Cunninghamia lanceolata ("Chinese Fir"), Sciadopitys verticallata ("Umbrella pine"), some 250 x Rhododendrons, a wide range of conifers, a selection of Australian and New Zealand plants, and a large collection of Dicksonia antarctica ("Australian Tree Ferns").

In 1987, the lower part of the garden was extended in two stages to include a Mediterranean Garden, and is extremely reminiscent of the many gardens flanking the hillsides of southern France and northern Italy.

Around every corner, there are more little gardens linked by narrow winding paths each planted with more unusual plants, and a Japanese Garden with many water features.

The keen Plantsman will particularly enjoy this garden, as will other visitors. The owners have incorporated many good design features, packed with interesting colour and foliage combinations. There is an excellent souvenir colour brochure available from the upper patio.

Please be prepared for a lot of steps - the further down you go - the greater the rewards. The views are stunning. A route numbering system from 1 to 25 will help if you feel lost. Please do not go straight down, but meander and enjoy a slow and winding route down the garden, returning, if you wish, by the quick direct route uphill again.