Perranuthnoe open gardens

The horses feet rattled on the tarmac road as we crept down through Perranuthnoe village as quietly as we could at half past five on Sunday morning as the village slept. With the day of the garden opening waiting for us it was the only possible time for their daily exercise and we didn't meet a soul as we climbed the cliff path out of Perranuthnoe towards the hamlet of Trebarvah before crossing the A394 and looping back through Goldsithney towards home in time to cook our Guest breakfast

The morning was spent in frantic activity trying to secure errant gate numbers to the appropriate openings and open the front field up ready for the car parking for the day. We must thank Terry, Sue and Bryan for valiantly parking nearly one hundred cars in straight lines and welcoming everyone that had came to enjoy the day.

Our impromptu car park

Alas i didn't get to visit any of the other gardens on the day but everyone I met looked very happy and welcome to all our blog readers - it was a real pleasure and great surprise to meet so many of the blog reading community. (Perran lady your echiums await!)

Yvonne phoned with the news that..............!!

£1876.80

Had been raised for the church room which was a fantastic result for the day

Garden visitor arriving



We settled for super in the Italian garden that felt strangely still after all of the visors of the day
That's Yvonne (tireless organiser) and her brother Graeme (Passport seller)in the foreground, two of our neighbours and fellow garden openers Charlie and Jan, Two of our house guest, my brother Bryan (painter of the car park sign and Parker) and Sue who worked tirelessly all day. Charles is behind the camera as usual so that just leaves me (doesn't think of a good enough excuse quickly enough!) All posing..........




and not looking at the camera

It would have been nice to sit late into the night with the candles flickering within the dusky enclosures but Alas another day beckoned and we crept silently to bed to start again tomorrow

(although I swear i won't garden at all this week!)

I was allowed to cut the box topiary on the terrace

Naturally as Sunday was overcast we woke today to brilliant sunshine that cast sharp shadow in the gravel border with the clearest blue sky over head but that is another day!

The box parterre

Our box parterre sit happily in the middle of the courtyard and needs very little maintenance these day until Derby day has passed and the gardening advice dictates that it is time to cut the box - A lengthy business involving much heart ache, topiary sheers, various rugs to catch the clipping, wheelbarrows and a watching cat. Each year Charles rejects the suggestion the "an electric hedgtrimmer might do it" and clips diligently away day after day until the untidy beast is tamed and harmony is restored to the courtyard. This year I did offer to help but he eyed the pair of garden sheers I was brandishing with great suspicion and said "err no its OK - I've nearly finished now"

and finished it was......... in time for our garden opening as part of the Perranuthnoe open gardens with a new pump installed in the fountain in the nick of time by our plumber and the cat went back to sleep.

Computer crashing please pass.....

Well!! our old computer has performed faithfully for a number of years and we have grown old together it seems until just after the birth of Amie (the Foal) it started to "behaving very strangely indeed" No sooner had it been persuaded out of premature retirement or permanent hibernation by the patient engineer than it would close down again. In its brief resurrections I was able to set out the posters etc for the garden opening but at the very sniff of blog time zzzzwich it was gone - silent and idle, brooding in the corner, until at last in desperation we purchased and speedy new machine..............that took a complete dislike to most of the old programmes and resolutely refused to recognised the camera uploads either. But by gently coaxing it is settling in nicely and I have bagged some photos of the garden that I have been taking over the last couple of weeks so off we go!

Gold Stars! and time

Such a long time since I've had a chance to post here but as the summer slowly drawn on to meet the mid Summer Solstice and we have sat in the garden, warmed by the sun, late into the evening it seemed time.. Time to think about the house renovations of the spring when the delicious primping and tweaking, dress to the house to enter the year take place. The time spent anticipating the new foals as our mares expanded and now two out of the three expected foals are with us. But time yet for April to still wait patiently for her time, with a steadily growing bag of milk for her new baby that is due in July. Time spent waiting for the AA inspector, who suddenly appears when least expected to assess our B&B and then time waiting by his written report. At last it has come and we have Five Gold stars again this year, meaning that we are in the top ten percent of marks in the country for the third or is it the forth year running. And now time to go to bed with the daylight yet to fade and the birds still singing outside............but it is time and so good night

Foal launch

Diva's baby foal had her first outing into the field today



The little foals first job upon reaching the field was to stock up at the milk bar - she is two weeks premature so a tad smaller than Annie when she was born


after mum Diva had had another visit from the vet. The day started out quite foggy and so we dressed her up in Annie's outgrown little coat but before long the sun broke through and the little creature spent the day curled in the long grass with the odd occasional milk break. Poor Diva didn't spent very much time eating herself as she gazed at her new baby, hovering quietly and gently nickering to her new baby. We brought diva in this evening to a deep fresh bed of straw and she gave a big sigh of contentment - everyone likes a comfy bed!

Diva Standing guard over her precious baby

Diva's foal

Diva and her filly new foal



A good bed of straw



Father Danilon watching from his stable




Finding the milk supply with help from Charles

A beautiful elegant filly was born to Diva at Ednovean Farm at 2.23am watched over by her father Danilon who nobly gave up his nights sleep to supervise the proceedings. Mother and Baby are both doing well and should go out to field for the first time tomorrow

Well who needs sleep with a new little life coming into the world! A full moon and clear sky spangled with stars, on a night so balmy it felt like milk. As the night wore on in this first encounter with life for the little creature and we bussled about when needed and drank hot sweet tea when not, until we felt it safe to leave them both at about 4.30 just as the first cockerels had started to crow down in the village.

Another glorious sunny day here in west Cornwall and perhaps time for a nap in the garden this afternoon!

latest vacancies

Mounts Bay this morning from Ednovean Farm courtyard

We woke up to another sunny morning this morning and another cancellation for a weeks holiday, so if you are planning a last minute break..............!

Sunday the 14th until Monday the 22nd inclusive

is now available

And I'd swear the weather forecasters have got it wrong wouldn't you?

Latest Cancellation

Our barn at Ednovean Farm in the 1970's - approaching what is now our front door


We have just had a cancellation for four nights in our Pink room at Ednovean Farm, for the nights of Tuesday 9th of June, Wednesday the 10th, Thursday the 11th and Friday the 12th (with a possible extra night if required but with room change)

Perranuthnoe Gardens Open

A gorgeous flower from on of the new mystery gardens



and another!

The promise of the rose


The Cordylines in flower

The date for Perranuthnoe Open Gardens has been set this year for Sunday the 28th of July and Yvonne has attracted fourteen gardens, give or take a few with two stunning new gardens for this year, gathered up along the way.

If you have never visited Perrans open Gardens, it is well worth sparing the time to stroll around the village and visit the beautiful walled gardens of the mellow old granite houses that in themselves, hark back to the time when Perranuthnoe was a series of farmsteads nestling in the shelter of the valley.

I always love to visit the lovely old gardens awash with fragrant roses, cocooned within the ancient walls under the shelter of the church tower in the steep lanes of the village. This year Yvonne and I visited two new cottage garden in the Ednovean Area and i snapped the Clematis in one and the Poppy in the other but you will have to visit on the day to find out where they are!

The rose lives at Ednovean Farm though and was given to me as a cutting by my late father when I married Charles. He said "the Woodhams family has always had this rose in their garden" And each year it fills the courtyard with perfume for Oh too short a time before slipping gently back into the distance, a link through the generations.

At the moment the Cordylines are filled with amazing creamy white flowers that announce that the tree is about to fork again and will feed the sparrows for weeks on the berries. Will they last until the gardens open? Somehow I doubt it but you never know.

Curtains by SueCrane

Our new shower room blind made by SueCrane


I wanted a simple window treatment for the rustic window


I just though I'd share a telephone number of a lovely lady called Sue who makes blinds and curtains and lives in Gweek but will travel to measure and fit her work.

I wanted a simple window treatment for my rustic window in my shower room and found this lovely textured, linen stripe in Red Rose textiles in Penzance on which Sue worked her alchemy to produce this relaxed blind.

I couldn't resist the little statue in Mounts Bay trading - it's supposed to be a mermaid and gives me something to look at as I start the day bleary eyed!

To contact Sue phone:- 01326 221173

Memories of the cliff path

Around Kynance Cove

The cliff path near Perranuthnoe

Above the Minack theatre

Ollie the cat waiting for guests in the car park

We were so pleased to receive this selection of photos from C&B of Germany of their memories from their walks in West Cornwall, whilst staying with us this spring.

The extraordinary contrast between th coastal pth near to Kynance Cove with its sea polished serpentine to the granite cliffs near Ednovean Farm. The sub stopical planting around the Minack Theatre that clings to the cliffs at Porthcurnoe; in itself, a flight of fantisy made real by Rowena Cade and finaly, our very own little Ollie Cat, who patiently waits each day in our car park, descreetly poised under the date palms to greet guest after their days of exploring. Thank you C& B ( I tend to use initials to preserve the anonimity of clients) for sharing your memories with us of the very special spring this year.

A glorious day at the Lizard

It was a glorious day at the Lizard

It was a glorious day at the Lizard, the spectacular cliffs fringed with thrift, the sweet scent of the sea spray, the vibrant colours of the wild flowers and the coastal path winding away across the cliffs leading ever onwards around the next tantalising headland - we weren't there or course but I can imagine it and thank you to two of our guests Bryan and Sue for this lovely image!!

Brilliant sunshine again today and our little party of sparrows are busy around the courtyard, dancing about in the creeper before suddenly vanishing into their nests as our guest prepare for their day and perhaps a visit to the Lizard and one of Anne's pasties ah there's a thing!

Gardening and Boats

The beautiful sailing ship motoring into Mounts Bay this afternoon




Just passing Perranuthnoe church




She's moored just under the Mount this evening




Beyond our garden in the late afternoon light - Charles says the light is no good for photogarphy........but the boat was there!





Our day began and into the garden to work

This photo of Mounts Bay beyond the garden was taken just after breakfast click to enlarge

Michaela Lowe hard at work in the borders

Another fabulous day in west Cornwall today although a bit too hot for me alas - still with the village open gardens looming we thought it was time to attack the garden with gusto or at least weak resolve. Yvonne has bagged fifteen gardens for this year and we hope to open BUT Diva is due to foal very soon in which case.............. sorry Yvonne.

Michaela Lowe has taken over her father Ian Lowe's TGS Garden Design business phone 07546 588277 and has come in to help sort out the borders as the Italian garden has kept us all out of mischief for three weeks now!

As we slumped in the searing heat (i don't do heat!) Our afternoon tea break was enlivened by a beautiful Schooner motoring in before weighing anchor off of ST Micheal's Mount. it is always fabulous to see a tall (ish) ship in the bay as a ghostly memory of the days of sail.......and the garden is looking pretty good too!