A dry spring hasn’t stopped a Cornish garden from bursting into bloom.
Trebah Garden’s iconic hydrangeas are now in full summer display, filling the garden’s Hydrangea Valley with vibrant colour despite the season’s unusually dry conditions.
The garden’s head gardener, Darren Dickey, said: “Although we have had a very dry spring and early summer, the Hydrangea Valley at Trebah is thankfully still looking glorious.
The hydrangeas are in full bloom despite the dry spring. (Image: Trebah Garden)
“In a normal Cornish summer, they would have benefitted from misty or damp days, but not this year.
“Due to the prolonged dry spell, we have resorted to irrigating them using water pumped straight from the large pond that they border.
“This is unprecedented and something that, in the 34 years I’ve worked at Trebah, we have never had to do.”
The lush display is credited to Trebah’s unique location in a sheltered valley, where humus-rich soil and southerly sunshine help hydrangeas thrive through both drought and rain.
The hydrangeas were first planted in the 1950s to supply cut flowers to London’s Covent Garden Flower Market.
Today, the valley attracts thousands of visitors with its striking bands of blue mophead blooms, a pastel shade made possible by the garden’s naturally acidic soil.
Other colours, including pinks, purples, and whites, can also be found among the blues.
The valley is home to a wide range of hydrangea varieties, including the pastel-blue Generale Vicomtesse de Vibraye, the deep blue Enziandom, and Zorro with its bold black stems.
Other types include paniculatas, which change colour as the season progresses, the soft-leaved Villosa group, and Quercifolia hydrangeas known for their oak-shaped foliage and autumn colour.
The garden team has been preparing for hotter, drier summers in recent years.
Darren said: “In recent years we have also installed a water pipe that runs down the east side of the garden in preparation for hotter summers.
“This is fed from a borehole and, when needed, will enable the garden team to irrigate new trees and shrubs until they are established enough to take care of themselves.”
Although no longer sent to Covent Garden, Trebah’s hydrangeas continue to travel beyond Cornwall.
For the past 25 years, a selection has been sent each summer to Bradwell in Derbyshire for use in the village’s annual Well Dressing tradition.
The hydrangeas remain a feature into late autumn, taking on vintage tones before being used as natural Christmas decorations in the garden’s visitor centre.
They are pruned each January by staff and volunteers to ensure another season of blooms.
Now is the ideal time to visit Trebah’s Hydrangea Valley in full colour.
More information is available on the Trebah Garden website.