A garden by the beach sounds good – and here is one that is irresistible. Falmouth’s botanical garden awaits… Trebah Garden, is as good as it sounds, for the bottom of the garden leads you to Polgwidden Cove, a sheltered and secluded shingle beach on the Helford river, with its own café for a charming Cornish cream tea, or a moment’s seclusion.
Pioneered by Quaker Charles Fox, the garden, with fine views of the estuary, is open all year to see Mother Nature at her sparkling best.
26 acres of footpaths in this sub-tropical valley garden lead to canopies of cascading colour from 100-year-old spring rhododendrons, camellias and magnolia to the china blue hue of the autumn hydrangeas.
With bamboo, a mallard pond and a koi pool, among the vast array of trees, with water gardens and stumperies, Trebah is peaceful and has been compared by some to a Himalayan valley. With a huge variety of plants to enjoy, and plenty for children to explore, there is also a secret World War II link. New for 2023 is the Court Garden a tranquil and unique walled garden, which is designed to engage the senses.
You don’t need to be a botanist to love it here. There are superb photo opportunities for great memories; oh, and it is dog-friendly, too!