by Patti O’BrienAn article in the August Devon Country Gardener should have stated that the website for Winsford Walled Garden is www.winsfordwalledgarden.com and that it is heading towards 3,000 plant varieties. The article mistakenly stated that extensive restoration work had been carried out on a conservatory and the walls. Lukesland
A 24-acre Dartmoor valley, with a stream at its heart, Lukesland was originally planted as a woodland garden by the present owner’s Victorian antecedents. The resulting giant trees are truly magnificent, including three champions (the largest of their species recorded in the country) and 47 specimens listed as notable on the National Tree Register.  
The stream is a stunning year-round feature, with a waterfall and several ponds, the largest two of which have islands, but in the autumn the interaction between plants and water is at its best – vivid orange Taxodium distichum (swamp cypress) and the fiery spread of a septuagenarian acer reflect on the still surface of the water. Singles species groves include Clerodendrum (still in flower) and Cercidyphyllum japonicum with leaves that smell of toffee apples as their colour turns. Unusual Pterocarya’s foot-long tassels sway in the breeze, and Gingko biloba, a froth of buttery yellow, towers over the Victorian part of the garden. New additions include a large herbaceous border, planted with late season in mind – asters, dahlias, Liriope muscari, schizostylis, liatris and strobilanthes guarantee colour, grasses add texture and movement. Location: Ivybridge, 10m E of Plymouth
For admission prices and opening times, please check with the garden direct.
Telephone: 01752 691749 Overbecks 
A garden of seven acres, hewn over 100 years ago from a wooded, steep and craggy, coastal cliff, Overbecks is a National Trust property famous for its hundreds of palm trees and good collection of exotic and unusual plants. Shelter provided by mature woodland protects the terraces from the worst of the sea gales, and so restios, bananas, gingers and tree fuchsias thrive, inviting the visitor to dream they have been transported to the tropics. A formal Mediterranean parterre with clipped box comes as a surprise, and spectacular views of the coast and Salcombe Estuary are sure to delight. Highlights of the month include an arch covered in Vitis coignetiae, a vine with heart-shaped leaves that colour crimson and gold, Brugmansia sanguinea (Angel’s trumpets) that fill the air with intoxicating perfume, and a walkway lined with Fascicularia bicolor, a spider-like bromeliad that produces pale blue flowers, surrounded by bright red bracts. Location: Sharpitor, 1.5 miles SW of Salcombe.
For admission prices and opening times, please check with the garden direct.
Website: www.nationaltrust.org.uk
Telephone: 01548 842893 Lydford Gorge
Another National Trust property, and one that may perhaps stretch the definition of a garden to visit, but the combination of well-managed, mature woodland, extraordinary natural rock formations, and a very exciting watercourse makes Lydford the ideal destination for a day out in October. A three-mile-long circular walk leads you through mature deciduous woodland, down into the gorge to view the spectacular 90ft White Lady Waterfall from below. Then following the River Lyd back up, enjoy its ever-changing character, from quiet, slow-moving passages to the churning and tumbling of the Tunnel Falls, a series of potholes in the riverbed. Low-lying autumn mists increase the mystical atmosphere, and the fungi are so plentiful that dedicated walks are run specifically for their enjoyment. Location: Lydford, near Okehampton.
For admission prices and opening times, please check with the garden direct.
Web: www.nationaltrust.org.uk
Telephone: 01822 820320 |
