CGTvisittoFoxRosehillGardens

16thJune2016

AlthoughsituatedonthesideofthemainroadthroughFalmouthtowardsPendennisCastle,thegardensatFoxRosehillarenotwellsignedandrelativelyfewpeoplestopandvisit.Thepublicprofileislessthanisdeserved.TheyareoneoftheearlysurvivalsofthehorticulturalandbotanicalworksoftheFoxfamily–indeedtheonlyFoxtowngardeninexistence,andtheyareoneofthegemsofFalmouth’sseveralmunicipalgardens.

LastyeartherecentlyformedFriendsofFoxRosehillGardensjoinedCornwallGardensTrustasacorporatemember.TheaimoftheFriendsistoraisetheprofileanduseofthishorticulturallyhistoricalVictoriangarden,tofundsignage,andtohelpfundplantstoreplacethosedestroyedasaresultofphytophthora.ThisvisitprovidedanopportunityformembersoftheTrusttoseetheissuesatfirsthand.

ThegardenswerebegunbyRobertWereFox(1789-1877)afterhemovedtherein1821.Hehadascientificapproachtogardeningandwasparticularlyinterestedinthe“acclimatizingofexotics”.Heplantedover300speciesoftenderforeignplantsaspartofthisexperimentation.Hisnephew,HowardFox,tookoverthesitein1872,whenhisunclemovedtoPenjerrick,andaddedhisownstamp–aMediterraneanstyle–withconifersformingabackdroptoplantingsofDraceaenas,thewholeprovidingaframeforinternalvistas.

In1944Howard’sdaughtersgavethelowerpartofthegardentothetownofFalmouth,thenorthernpartlaterbecomingpartofFalmouthArtSchool,nowtheUniversity.Forthelast70yearsthegardenshavebeenmanagedasamunicipalamenityandarecurrentlymaintainedbyCormac,underacontractwithCornwallCouncil.

Wewereveryfortunatetohaveaplethoraofexpertstoinformusaswewentaroundthegarden.FromCormacwereHowardBurnsandMattStannard,whoworkatthegardens;JacquiOwen,theirVisitorandCommunityEngagementOfficerforFalmouthTownCouncil,inpartnershipwithCormac;JeanCarrfromtheFriendsofFoxRosehillGardens;JonMitchell,PublicSpaceTeamLeaderforCornwallCouncil;OllieBennett,TreeOfficerforCornwallCouncil.InadditiontherewerethreemembersoftheFoxfamily.

Themainlawn

Withallthisknowledgeavailablefromsomanypeopleitwasnotpossibletohearallthateveryonesaid,andIdonotintendtotry.Fromtheentranceonecomesquicklyuponthemainlawnwithalovelyvistafringedwithspecimentrees,includinganironwoodtree(parrotiapersica)andatuliptree(liriodendrontulipfera),plantedin1916tomarkHowardFox’s80thbirthday.

Thehistoricimportanceofthegardenisreflectedinthefactthatinthissmallareatherearetwonationalchampiontreesoleariapaniculataandleptospermumscopariumandalsotwocountychampionscrinodendronhookerianumandeucalyptusdalrympleanaanda.Inadditiontherearemanyoftheconiferspeciesthatwereplantedinthenineteenthcenturyandtoday’sgardenerscontinuetoplantanew,suchasaNorfolkIslandpine(Araucariaheterophylla).

Therearescoresofotherinterestingtrees,ofwhichIwouldpickouttheleavesofalophomyrtusbullata(myrtlefamily)andaChileanlaurel(laureliasempervirens)withalovelysmellandaverypenduloushabit.

Laureliasempervirens

Nexttotheglasshouseatthenorth-westoftheGardens,whichisgivenovertocactiandsucculents,isaterracedareaofsemi-aridplantingandnearbyastunningdoryanthespalmeriwithleavesabout2.5m(8’)long.Ontheothersideofthegarden,formingthesouthernboundaryofthesite,isawonderfulcollectionofbamboos,whichprovidebothavisualshelterandawindbreak.

TheexoticplantingsofFoxRosehillweresomeofthefirstinCornwallandinspiredthebrandingofthe“CornishRiviera”bytheGreatWesternRailway.ItisinnosmallpartduetotheworkoftheFoxfamilyherethatseasidetownsthroughoutCornwallandDevonarefestoonedwithdracaenas,tracycarpus,phormiumsandthelike.

InadditiontothisFoxRosehillboastsalargenursery.Some44,000plantsweregrownherelastyear,supplyinggardensmanagedbyCormacthroughoutwestCornwall.Thereisalsoaneducationaloutreachprogramme,providedthroughpartnershipworkingbetweenCormacandFalmouthTownCouncil,involvesprimaryandsecondaryschoolpupilswiththeopportunitytotakepartininteractivevisitstogainadeeperunderstandingandappreciationofthegardens,theplantswithinitanditsheritage.

AfterourvisittotheNurserywemadeourwaydowntothePrincessPavilionforrefreshments.Beforehavingtherefreshments,tofurtherwhetourappetite,weweregivenatourofGyllyngduneGardens,whichliewithinthegroundsofthePavilion.ThegardenswerepartofaveryextensiverestorationschemeofthePavilionin2010/11.Our2012Journalincludesahistoryofthegardensandanarticleonapersonalexperiencerestoringtheshellgrotto,whichtheTrustassistedwith.Thelowergardensarematuringquicklyandfeelwellestablishedaftertherestoration,thoughwedidnothavetimetolookatthemindetail.

Thecenterpieceoftheuppergardenisthemagnificentbandstand,surroundedbybeddingplantsandsetinthemiddle

ofawell-maintainedlawn.Theverandahthatformstwosidesofthelawnenhancesthenaturalmicroclimate.

Undertheverandahahugelywidevarietyoftropicalandsub-tropicalplantsthriveoutsideallyearround,suchasthestrelitziareginae(below),aloes,clivia,agave,tibouchina,abutilon,sagopalm,albucanelsonii,oleaner,opuntia,pseudopanax,kalanchoe,lythrops,aeoniums,echiveriasandothersucculents.