Great Gardens To Visit: Coleton Fishacre, A Mediterranean Paradise in Devon

I recently visited this beautiful Devon garden expecting to find the usual April delights of blossom and spring bulbs. The entrance to the gardens was indeed boasting a wonderful display of exquisite blooms.

What I wasn’t expecting to find was a baking hot hillside of exotic plants from around the world. It was a wonderful to chance upon this fantasy garden with the warm sun on my face and the sweet perfume of Daphne hanging in the air.

The frost free maritime climate on the Devon south coast in combination with the shelter of this steep valley leading down to the sea has created a perfect microclimate in which to grow tender plants. This year a mild Autumn and winter have helped matters by bringing many plants into flower earlier than usual.

This Melianthus Major, which often dies down during the winter, is abundantly flowering and has been combined effectively with the similarly shaped Euphorbia flowers in contrasting lime green.

A stream runs down the valley crisscrossed by beautifully crafted wooden bridges. There is a cool green feeling of the jungle down here with huge stands of bamboo that your children can adventure through.

Here too Tree Ferns are growing in abundance with enormous healthy green fronds completely unaffected by winter cold.

If you want to visit this garden or find out any more information go to the National trust website by following this link.

www.nationaltrust.org.uk/coleton-fishacre/visitor-information/