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People and the Pavilion!

4/12/2016

 
It is so easy to hide away in the job I have. I could spend an entire day roaming around the garden, weeding, planning, planting and barely talk to anyone. Growing seedlings in the green house, potting up new plants to prepare for outdoor climates, or sitting behind a computer like now, writing blogs or doing some marketing and not meet a soul. But you know what? It would take out the core purpose of all my work, as in the end, it's all about people. If it wasn't for the smiling faces of visitors enjoying the tranquillity of Bosvathick, sitting on a bench with a cup of tea and cake taking in the beautiful views, or seeing someone taking photos of an array of flower colours; this job would get a totally different purpose, and for me a far less satisfactory one.
Because the true joy is found in hearing other people's passion for gardens, or hearing about the places they've come from or where they are headed. Sometimes even the sharing of life struggles or the loss of a loved one. You would not think this was part of my job description but I must admit these are the best bits of my day. These kind of encounters really boost me up to provide an even better experience for those who come to enjoy Bosvathick.
Just last week we had a lovely group of enthusiasts who did not only chat with me in the office and shared their appreciation for some newly added information cards in the garden but also made the day of the owner when being so positively responsive to the tour of the house. “The most entertaining tour we've ever had” they said, and that, makes it all worth while.
I must admit that we are not well known yet, and sometimes we only see a handful of people on an opening day, but one single conversation, no matter how insignificant it might seem, could make all the difference for someone like me, working behind the scenes to try and create a wonderful visitor experience.
Last year we were open on Thursday and Friday, but it always seemed to rain on Friday, so this year we are open on Wednesday and Thursday instead. But just in case, this season we now also have a covered sheltered seating area, as we couldn't bare the thought of you not being able to enjoy some refreshments without getting a wet bottom. So there you have it. I introduce to you the 'Pavilion' for your dry and sheltered cup of tea experience. We aim to please!

Below as well as the Pavilion, a couple of photos of other exciting things going on in the garden. A cock fight, happy primroses and these beautiful chandeliers.

Spring magic!

3/11/2016

 
There is something magical about the first 'proper' spring day. It's not that the flowers blooming today were not doing so yesterday, but somehow it feels that way. With no wind and the sun warming a sheltered spot of the garden to 't-shirt only-wearing' temperatures it appears a transformation has taken place and my brain finally comes to grips with the fact that a completely new season of warmth, colour and scent has once again descended on us. The colours of the flowers appear deeper and stronger on such a sunny spring day and planting in new perennials in the slowly warming soil all give rise to happy feelings, especially after such a gloomy, dark and wet winter. I am excited for the new season. So in order to celebrate spring, here are some beautiful spring blooms from Bosvathick garden.

Winter, Summer ?!?!

2/12/2016

 
A garden takes a lot of planning; a well known fact for those who are keen gardeners and also for those who have discovered the hard way that planting bulbs for instance, in the wrong season, could have very unsatisfying results. Delphinium seeds sown in the wrong climate are growing some kind of weird mildew instead of actual plants, something I have discovered just this last month. But how is one supposed to make a garden plan and work schedule when the seasonal changes are totally not cooperating?
Because we are open to the public, I try to plan and plant for a beautiful flower display in the months we can be visited. But now certain trees and shrubs in the garden are behaving like it's close to summer time instead of winter and we have April flowering daffodils and Rhododendrons in full bloom in January, it's totally bizarre to say the least. How is one to do ones job properly with this kind of stuff going on? I guess things change a bit when gardens are not just able to respond according to how nature leads but when they are also supposed to function as a business to be visited in tourist season. Though seemingly unaware of this added pressure it does what it wants to do, based on temperatures not dates on the calender and that's just how it is.
Having said that we are still expecting a beautiful garden when we open at the end of March. I am especially looking forward to this coming June when we will be able to see the results of this winter's hard work on our new herbaceous borders. A rose focused garden with added perennials is going to be new 'piece de resistance' for Bosvathick. It might need another year to thicken out, but the roses, which is one of the reasons I love them so much, will certainly give a beautiful display already this summer, not to mention the exciting fragrances that will fill this part of the garden. I can't wait.
Below our supposedly April flowering daffs in January, the new borders and my son the apprentice! 

Bees and 2016!

11/28/2015

 
It's been a bit quiet on the blogging side of things, however let this not be an indication of a lack of busyness on our part to prepare for yet another wonderful Bosvathick season. As a matter of fact we have been quite busy indeed. A new substantially sized shed is in it's final building stages: a beautiful red reclaimed tiled roof adorns the wooden weatherboarding structure with windows all along. As a matter of fact we are so impressed with it that we have been considering many other upgraded uses for the building instead; however it seems our need for storage outbids a garden sauna with jacuzzi or a chalet style holiday let. We are expecting dry and sunny weather in early spring (one has to stay positive) and therefore have every hope the shed will be coated with Bosvathick green before the first garden opening day.
We are already receiving interest for garden visits and house tours for next year; locally and from further afield such as Switzerland, so we are anticipating seeing many people on the estate. Our 2016 opening dates and times are now on our website, feel free to share this with anyone you know who might be interested. Keen to be more widely known in the Falmouth and Helston area we are currently considering our marketing approach; you can find us for instance on websites such as gardensincornwall.com and wherecanwego.com but we are considering some other avenues as well, so hopefully you will hear or read about us plentifully to entice you for a first or return visit.

Also worth mentioning is that we have created yet another herbaceous border right beside our children's maze. It promises to be a beautiful display of whites, yellows and purples from early summer onwards and we can't wait to see the result. More roses have been planted along our 'castle wall' as well to create yet another wow factor with dazzling colour and scent; and more flowers hopefully means more bees. Last summer we participated in a bee count study performed by a student from the local university and even though some bee varieties were not seen during the 'spotting' sessions, many others were, which we are very excited about. It fills us with pleasure to know that not only do garden visitors get to enjoy our flower displays, but that on days we're closed, beside the family and gardeners, our efforts give great benefits to wildlife as well. Bees spotted were: buffed and white tailed bumblebees, heath bees, honey bees and common carder bees. I was unaware of the existence of so many different varieties and am pleased to have yet again learned something else regarding gardens and its occupants. I am a blessed man!
Below a 'Wuthering Heights' capture of pheasants in Bosvathick's warren on a misty winter's day.
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Bosvathick Garden end of season!

8/29/2015

 
I can hardly believe it. It's the end of August and just this Friday was the last day the garden was open to the public for 2015. Time seems to pass quicker every year, or is this simply a sign of me getting on in years, I don't know; Do only more 'mature' people make these kind of comments? Anyway I still well remember putting out all the benches and historic carts, wheelbarrows and other interesting ornaments in the last week of February, as well as all the information signs with fun facts that are placed all around the garden. Now we have to bring them all back in again, to protect them against the winter rain and for some TLC as well; a fresh layer of paint for instance on some of the signs around the lake, clearly used as scratching poles by our Dexter cows. Hmmm!

I must say it was a very interesting year. The herbaceous borders look much more mature, and we have been planting them in a little thicker as we go. We added more flowering perennials in strategic places to add more colour in the different months we are open and we also have added more different varieties of rhododendrons, azaleas and even placed a new border around our fountain pond with 'Rosa Flower Carpet' still in full bloom now. We cleared around some interesting specimen trees to give them light and growing space, documented everything that we have planted from 2013 onwards and discovered names of plants and trees that have been here for years.

Just the other day I was visiting Trelissick Garden and spotted a name sign with a particular hydrangea we also have here at Bosvathick, so I now know it's called 'White Snow', what fun! Today while browsing for August flowering plants I came across two more varieties that we have in our garden that I can now address by their proper name: a Yucca Filamentosa (or Adam's needle) instead of 'green spindly spiky thing' and somewhere random along the drive we have an Acanthus variety, formerly known as an 'ugly weed thing'. Turns out people actually buy this! Huh! It's a mystery how that got there, it certainly is not in the most obvious spot to plant anything.

On Thursday I took down our sweetpea structure, they were getting tired, I can't blame them. They have produced flowers non stop for 3 months or so, bringing smiles on the faces of our B&B guests and gracing the outdoor tables for our tea and cake customers. I have harvested some of their seed pods, so perhaps I can grow my own next year. I've had great success in taking cuttings from Nepeta and Penstemons and I am now trying to grow some plants from seeds I have harvested: Pansies &Violas, Geum, Geranium Elke, Primula Postford White, and I am going to attempt some Leucanthemum, Mohawk and Agapanthus. No idea if you can grow these from seed, but I'll soon discover.

The season was long with very mild weather, which I think was one of the reasons everything in the garden started early and therefore finished a bit too soon to my liking. But it does mean more bird offspring; yesterday I saw a wood pigeon on a new nest and just last week I noticed two baby grebe on our lake, a bird I had never seen before. Very shy but very cute indeed!

So what's coming up! In a couple of weeks we are going to plant another 1,000 bulbs or so, all in preparation for next year. We will probably open again from March onwards, but this is still to be confirmed, so keep an eye on our website. We've also got a fun 'explorer' leaflet in the making, which will be entertaining for the children and child-like ones alike, and I have another flower border in mind, it's all very exciting. If there is any other interesting news to share, I'll write again, otherwise the next blog will be closer to our opening in 2016! Blessings to you.
(Below a picture of a beautiful lily. The last one remaining from a handful of bulbs planted some years ago. It's in the most awkward position in the middle of a lawn, but we can't bear moving it in case we won't see it ever again, which is in the true likeness of Bosvathick's owners: nothing gets wasted, there is always a use for something, so we are keeping it, with all the other thousands of paraphernalia you can see on one of the house tours. Oh and I added a picture of the Acanthus as well, which, now in flower, looks a bit less like a weed after all. Last a picture of the new fountain pond border with 'Rosa Flower Carpet'. Enjoy!)

Birds and Butterflies!

7/27/2015

 
In July's issue of Cornwall Living magazine, Bosvathick is described as beautiful, while many visitors say the garden is romantic; both descriptions are true I think. The garden has very mature parts with big rhododendrons, camellias, azeleas and deciduous trees throughout, whereas other areas are newly developed, with several herbaceous borders which are currently in full colour and are looking stunning. The whole effect of the garden gives a feeling that it has been there for centuries, with some parts barely touched and other parts lovingly nurtured, a garden that is still private which gives you the idea that you are walking through something that is still 'real' and not thoroughly cultivated. I think that is Bosvathick's strength, and we are trying to keep it that way. The house is still lived in by the same family since 1760 and the facade of the house looking from the south lawn tells you there is a long history here. It's an intriguing place.

I realise I have talked a lot about the garden on this blog and recently about the house tour as well, but it struck me that there is so much more going on in a garden than just plants, flowers and trees. So I decided to do a little bird and butterfly spotting for your interest and mine of course. I am no spotter to say the least, and certainly cannot identify one bird species from the other by simply hearing a simple call or a serenading song. Still I thought it would be nice to give a record of species I have seen over the years of being on the estate. I was utterly surprised with the list I came up with and I am sure there are many more that I have not included, birds that might only visit during the winter, or are just passing by.

However I must say that when it came to identifying the different butterflies, I started to develop a sensation over these last couple of weeks that has to be described as possibly a 'spotting' bug, or simply said a slight addiction perhaps? Never before have I really given much attention to the difference between this wide variety of winged insects that are fluttering about like there is no tomorrow. I tried my best to get some photographed so I could go home and find their particular names on the internet. You can imagine how many images taken were actually empty of butterflies, they really do very quickly move about. But, if I may say so myself, I got some good shots as well, which I will share with you in the included gallery.

Bosvathick is only open for one more month. The Garden closes at the end of August and I think the house tours are almost fully booked for the season. But you can always give the office a call to see if they can squeeze you in somewhere. Hope you enjoyed these monthly updates, I certainly did. We'll let you know what the next season will bring. Below my 'spotting list' and a photo gallery.

Birds seen on Bosvathick estate:
Canada Goose, Mallard, Pheasant, Grey Heron, Egret, Buzzard, Moor hen, Gull (several species), Wood Pigeon, Tawny Owl (only heard, not seen), Swallow, Green and Spotted Woodpecker, Magpie, Jay, Jackdaw, Crow, Coal Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Warbler (specie unsure), Wren, Dunnock, Blackbird, Mistle/Song Thrush, Robin, Grey and White Wagtail, Yellow Wagtail, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Bullfinch and our Guinea Fowl.

Butterflies seen on Bosvathick estate in July:
Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell, Silver-washed Fritillary, Red Admiral, Comma, Small White, Ringlet, Gatekeeper, Speckled Wood (I am sure many more escaped my eye) and last but not least I am very excited to tell you that I also spotted a Hummingbird Hawkmoth. Never seen anything like it! Enjoy the photos.

Bosvathick's House Tours

6/23/2015

 
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This month I thought it was time to give some attention to Bosvathick's other attraction: our weekly house tours. To do it justice, below some snippets of an article written by my beautiful wife Josephine, who grew up on the estate.

“The imposing granite gate posts of Bosvathick are something of a landmark on the road to Constantine. Topped with great granite balls and flanked by a pair of handsome lions, such a grand statement promises fine reward to those that go the distance of its long leafy drive.
Described as a “small country house”, Bosvathick in fact makes quite an impressive footprint. Originally built in 1760 , the house was completely refurbished in 1890 and given an extension that doubled its size. Since then, very little change has been made, and having been occupied by descendants of one family for 250 years, it is packed with gorgeous antiques and artworks, and contains a veritable treasure trove of household items that, once considered ordinary, are now fascinating.
Redesigned with the Victorian lifestyle in mind, the house is formally divided into staff and family wings. Of course, the house ceased to employ servants a long time ago (the last butler left in 1939), but it is clear that those rooms which were the domain of that dedicated team served no purpose to the family, and were left virtually untouched for seventy years. The resulting display of crockery and candlestubs ready for use in the Butler's pantry, for example, is enchanting, and anyone with an interest in pretty china tea sets or gas lamps will be enthralled.
The room that is perhaps of most interest is the original day nursery which was papered in 1904 with hundreds, perhaps even thousands of coloured reproductions cut from popular magazines. 
The reception rooms, warm and spacious, are furnished almost exactly as they were before the First World War, and display 250 years worth of family memorabilia, from portraits and photographs to travel souvenirs and glass collections, not to mention an age-old harp.
Despite this, however, the house is very much a comfortable, functional home. The library, for example, is a room in which a TV looks at ease with centuries-old leather-bound books and large glass cases of taxidermied birds. The 'green baise doors' – traditional divide between staff and family – are swung wide open for daily thoroughfare, and the servants' corridor – complete with a long line of bells marked for each room – is now carpeted and decorated with family portraits and photographs spanning the last century.
Some modernizatons have necessarily taken place. The well, though in use until 2005, was substituted by mains water supply in the 1960s, and the house was finally provided with sufficient electricity in 1987, abandoning the little generator that had been installed in 1923 and which had struggled to cope with more than two or three lightbulbs on at a time.
Upstairs, bedrooms have been lavishly refurbished to receive guests for Kate's thriving Bed and Breakfast business, and some of the smaller servant bedrooms have been converted into modern bathrooms, so no-one is expected to use the quaint little earth closet located discreetly among the arching boughs of laurel outside, even if it does boast an enchanting view of the lake.
Tours of the house cost £14, but for those who prefer to give the house tour a miss, entry to the garden is only £3 (though children under the age of 12 are free) and is well worth an afternoon.”

Tours include tea and cakes in the drawing room and are given every Thursday from March to the end of August. Bookings necessary. For more information or more pictures to whet your appetite click here




Counting numbers!

5/28/2015

 
Yesterday I was pondering on a possible focal point for my next blog entry when my mind wandered off to the fact that in September I will have been working on 'Bosvathick's open garden project' for 2 years. Time must indeed have wings!
However when I really start to think about all the new areas we have developed and the vast amount of plants we planted I realise that we have done tons of work in relatively a very short period and am actually quite proud of our achievements. It was team work that made it happen of course, but today I feel like giving myself quite a bit of credit too.
I have no formal training in gardening and so it was and still is hit and miss at times. For instance we are having a continuous battle with the rabbit species and have lost quite a few of our earlier planted perennials, many of which turn out to be on the rabbit's favourite meal list. Then again it turns out there isn't much the hungry rabbit doesn't like, so I guess we'd better pray for some more birds of prey.
Anyway, back to my point. I started to wonder how many shrubs and other plants we have put into this garden in the last 2 years and then, when today 2 lovely lady visitors were sharing their delight in finding such a lovely gem of a garden and were wondering about the amount of planting we have done, I made up my mind to do 'the numbers' for this blog. I hope you will enjoy these fun facts.

31 apple trees

3 Cherry Blossoms

2 Magnolias

4 Rhododendrons

26 Azaleas

26 Camellias

36 Roses (bush and climbing)

43 shrubs of all sorts

657 perennial plants (with an unnumbered amount of casualties due to the small mammals that belong to the Leporidea family of the order of Lagomorpha, (read: rabbits), some were lost to slugs and snails too)

125 Yew plug plants, to create our new focal point around the fountain pond (see photo)

198 begonia plugs (of which there are no survivors, they were all devoured by ducks)

many many annuals for our pot displays all around the main house,

and finally:

2415 bulbs, give or take a few.
All these were planted among the already amazing mature specimens of shrubs and trees, so you don't have to wait 10 years to see something exciting in our garden.

Colour palette and wafts of perfume

5/13/2015

 
One says that a picture is worth a thousand words. I like words and I like to write and though I am not trained in any way and have read skilled authors and poets who can paint a beautiful image with a pen, I still believe that the heavenly colours of a Cornish Garden in spring have to be observed to do it justice. How can one use names like cerise, ruby, rosepink, magenta or violet number 1,2 or 3 when one simply wants to describe how glorious a particular Azalea looks, displaying such a vibrant block of colour which in the right sunlight and perfectly contrasted with a neighbouring plant could almost pleasantly hurt your eyes? Shades that are changing in the course of a day because of a passing cloud or vaporizing morning dew or simply because of the ageing of the flower? It can't be done, though I'm sure some will disagree.

We have currently a couple staying in our B&B who are on the quest to find the location that inspired Thomas Wood Holgate to one of his bluebell paintings. It is believed it was painted here in the woods at Bosvathick. So it appears that not only Thomas was moved to try and capture what he saw on canvas but that a century later this particular painting brought two people back to Bosvathick to see with their own eyes what he saw. The power of imagery.

The same goes for scent of course. How blessed we are to be able to enjoy this world so much more because of our senses. One simply cannot explain the excitement that rises within when during a random stroll you suddenly find your face almost touched by a wonderful scented cloud that sets you on a quest to find its owner. Like a hide and seek game where a small breeze can easily set you off in the wrong direction it cannot be denied that a garden is an amazing place that brings joy to the soul, especially when you found your treasure and with your nose deeply pressed in a trumpet flower you inhale your prize.

I really love all the beautiful wafts of perfume and even though I walk miles through the garden on a working day and therefore know exactly where all the Lady Alice Fitzwilliams are and recognize the fragrance of the wisteria growing on the house or the viburnums which were planted last year, it remains and always will be a great highlight of my day.

Below some pictures to inspire your senses.

New life and more flowers!

4/22/2015

 
We have a saying in my native language: "In Mei leggen alle vogels een ei" which translated says that in May all birds lay eggs, but it turns out, this is not so. Unless Cornwall's climate is that much milder and therefore putting us ahead of the rest of the northern hemisphere with a couple of weeks or so, it seems birds are happily laying eggs in April also. Below you will find proof of course of my claim: a pheasant's nest which over the last week or so has steadily been filled with up to six eggs now and our geese have returned and are yet again breeding on one of our small islands in the lake. Well, we only assume they are the same of course, it's quite hard to tell with birds, they all look alike to me.
Anyway, lots of new life in the making. The lake is jammed with tadpoles, it seems one of our bird boxes on bird box lane has found an occupant as well and our flock of guinea fowl have all split up in smaller groups and pairs, so we have a little hope for some guinea fowl offspring this season too. It's all very exciting.
Plant wise I am pleased to inform you that the rhododendrons are in full glory at the moment, always a highlight in Bosvathick's garden and the blue bells are starting to emerge. The contrast of colour of the two brings truly a wow factor to the garden, something not to be missed.
I visited Trewithen yesterday which is a lovely garden near Truro. I must say I had a splendid time. The weather was great, I had my family with me so I was in great company and there were masses of specimen trees and shrubs in bloom. It was a good experience. Bosvathick is a little smaller and perhaps a little less grand, which is reflected in the entry price of course, but it is home and therefore more special to me. I know some of the history of this place and the efforts that have been put in, the changes that have been made and know about the visions that had to be brought from our minds and paper into realisation. There is a story being told here, and I am honoured to be able to add some sentences or even some chapters to this story of life at Bosvathick and its gardens. Hope you enjoy the small selection of photos below.
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