Garden designer and Cornwall enthusiast Thomas Hoblyn delivers his expert advice.
Species saving
I was very lucky to attend a panel discussion on rewilding this week, and although none of us could agree on how rewilding could translate into a garden situation, it was mentioned that Cornwall’s unique geography and climate create specialised habitats supporting species that are often on the edge of their range in the UK. The pinpointing of struggling fauna should be the starting point when creating gardens.
Take, for example, the endangered Marsh Fritillary butterfly, which has a fairly good stronghold in Cornwall – Bodmin Moor, Goss Moor, and West Penwith Moors. Ideally, gardeners in these parts should be gearing their gardens towards helping this butterfly. In this instance, by planting Devil’s-bit Scabious, their primary food source, and keeping areas fairly open so that they can thrive.
I, for one, will be heeding this advice when designing new gardens, beginning with dedicating specific habitats for any struggling species.
What to do this month
Late summer is not only the best time to reflect on the fruits of your labour, but also a time to evaluate what has worked, and what hasn’t. Identify thriving plants, those that struggled, and any pest and disease issues. Believe me: you won’t remember this in winter, so do it now. The wet Cornish summer has wreaked havoc on the tomatoes in terms of blight, and I will now only grow them under cover from now on.
Now is the time to sow hardy vegetables, taking advantage of our mild winters, such as kale, spring cabbage, and winter lettuce. I normally start them off as plugs and plant them out at the end of August. For those blessed with either a polytunnel or glasshouse, try two more sowings in September. With any luck, you will have a constant supply throughout the winter and early spring.
A Cornish garden is incomplete without wallflowers, and now is the time to sow them. Direct drill them in the vegetable garden and transplant them where they are to flower at the end of September.
If you do just one thing
Courgettes get terrible powdery mildew, but one way to prolong their lifespan is by removing the leaf just below the fruit each time you harvest, so only healthy leaves remain.
Plant of the month
Hedychium gardnerianum is the most reliable of the gingers, generally loving the Cornish summers and rewarding you with their heady fragrance. Best suited in pots, in shaded parts, alongside Salvia confertiflora and Eucomis ‘Sparkling Beauty’, and perhaps Ipomoea ‘Heavenly Blue’ winding its way up the stems for maxiumum jungly effect.
