Meudon, Mawnan Smith

Driving along a lane in Mawnan Smith, I saw a group of Monterey Pines, Pinus radiata, from the Pacific coast of North America, which were planted in two rows. I knew from my reading that these trees are not native and are often used as shelter belts (a planting scheme designed to protect more tender plants below). I stopped to investigate. The trees are located behind what is now the Meudon Hotel. I was not prepared for the exciting and exotic valley garden hidden beneath these trees. There were enormous rhododendrons, introduced to this country from Asia at the beginning of the 1800’s, some of the biggest tree ferns, Dicksonia Antarctica, from New Zealand I have ever seen, unusual camellias from Japan, as well as groves of Myrtles, Myrtus luma, with their luminous
orange bark, from Chile, and a stream full of Gunnera, Gunnera manicata, from South America. The path led down to a rocky beach at Bream Cove. This garden is the work of Robert Were Fox, who also designed Penjerrick Garden in Budock Water and Fox Rosehill Garden in Falmouth.

Finding this garden was a pivotal moment for me – there were no signs announcing its existence. There was no activity at all (I have since been back a dozen times at least, and have yet to meet another soul). The garden seems to just sit there quietly, having been carefully laid out and planted over a hundred and fifty years ago. Since this ‘discovery’ (and after reading The Origin of Plants), I wanted to find out more about Cornish gardens, plant introductions and the people behind them.