Our work in the garden at Glendurgan

Published:: 31 August 2024

Glendurgan Garden’s unique layout combines subtropical planting, a laurel maze, and a productive orchard, creating a dynamic array of spaces with distinct horticultural demands. From the challenges of maintaining its sheltered valleys to conserving the historic maze, each area requires tailored gardening techniques and dedicated management. Discover more about how the gardening team cares for these spaces, preserves their historic character, and undertakes conservation efforts to ensure the garden thrives for future generations.

Hear from the Assistant Head Gardener, Tom Cutter

Autumn at Glendurgan feels like it’s really starting to improve each year – or perhaps I’m just noticing it more as time goes on.

It hasn’t traditionally been our most extravagant season, but we do have a wonderful variety of autumn colour across the garden. The Tulip Tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) glows golden, with the Pampas Grass (Cortaderia selloana) flowering beautifully in the foreground when viewed from the path around the Cherry Orchard. I’d say it’s arguably our best autumnal view. Nearby, the Katsura Tree (Cercidiphyllum japonicum) begins to release its sweet scent of candyfloss or burnt sugar, caused by the breakdown of sugars in its leaves.

Glendurgan also loves a conifer or two, and these evergreen giants hold their own as the deciduous leaves change colour and fall, creating a mesmerising backdrop to the valleys that make up this garden.

Tulip Tree in autumn at Glendurgan Garden in Cornwall — Tulip Tree at Glendurgan Garden, Cornwall | © National Trust/Mary Cobill

The herbaceous plantings throughout the garden continue to flourish into early autumn. Highlights include the Entrance Route, Valley Head, and Fishpond, as well as the Jungle and New Zealand areas, which never fail to impress.

We’re still hard at work around the garden, finishing off tasks like strimming and tidying up any remaining hedges to keep things neat until we close for the season. Then it’s time to get stuck into the grittier jobs of winter! As always, we observe and learn from the garden throughout the year, planning ahead to make it even better for the future.

This autumn, we’ll also make the most of the cooler, damper weather to do some planting and strengthen many areas across the garden, ready to show off next year. Planting in autumn has its advantages: there’s still a little growing season left for plants to settle in, the cooler weather reduces the risk of drying out, and winter poses less of a threat of drought than spring. We’ve found autumn planting tends to give us better results than springtime, and we’re excited to see how the new additions will look.