Many Volunteers Make Light Work!

Following the lead of many of the country's top chefs, vegetables and herbs will be nurtured in the garden and if they grow well they will be eaten by the Galsworthy family who live on the estate between Truro and St Austell.

Plans have been drawn up and the beds along the north and south walls have been cleared ready to be transformed into a pottager garden where vegetables and herbaceous plants will grow together, protecting and encouraging each other for maximum effect.

"We're extremely excited about this project," said Trewithen's head Gardener, Gary Long. "But it's only been possible because of the invaluable help of our team of volunteers. Without them there would just have been too much for the three full time gardeners to do."

With Gary's guidance the garden transformation is being led by Sue Whitmore from Padstow, who volunteers her services to Trewithen once a week whilst taking a degree in Horticulture at Duchy College Camborne.

One of Sue's college assignments is to design a garden, Trewithen owner, Sarah Galsworthy, wanted a vegetable garden, Gary wanted to give the walled garden a make-over and, with the rest of the volunteers to help with the heavy work, the whole scheme is working extremely well.

Final planting plans have yet to be agreed but it's expected the south facing wall will include espaliered (fanned) fruit trees – peaches pears and apples – and the north wall will have a border planted with shade-loving plants. Central beds in the garden will include medicinal and culinary herbs and the companion planting of vegetables and herbaceous plants – for example marigolds repel greenfly that eat vegetable plants so they aid growth.

Sue said: "Companion planting is a great way of working with nature rather than having to use chemicals and, as the Galsworthy family intend to eat what we grow, that's very important. This whole scheme has been about working in partnership – everyone's input is vital to the success of both the people and the plants involved. It's a great experience for me and the fulfilment of a lifetime's ambition."

There are plans to open the walled garden to the public on specific days beginning soon after the estate re-opens on 1 March.

Anyone interested in working as a volunteer at Trewithen should contact Gary Long on 01726 883647.