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and 37 Gardens
Garden Stories:
Back to the garden
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Close to the spectacular coast road which runs from St Ives to St Just is Tremorran, is a former mine captain’s house set in a tranquil garden – a constant source of inspiration for artist Annie Henry, and a perfect setting for creative workshops and quiet days.
When Annie and her photographer husband Martin came to live at Tremorran four years ago, they were keen to create a place of welcome and hospitality, where B&B guests and day visitors could find peace and calm. An art gallery is attached to the house, and the garden is affiliated to the Quiet Gardens Movement, and open for reflection, meditation and prayer.
A maze of paths runs through the garden, connecting a series of separate spaces: an ornamental pond and a fishpond, a kitchen garden and an orchard, sculptures and statues. A gravel garden is planted with succulents and standing stones, and a grassy path leads to a secret garden sheltered by tall pine trees and lush hydrangeas. There is a fuchsia alley, a giant gunnera, and a Celtic cross in a Cornish hedge. Benches and seats are dotted all over the garden, so guests can gather to eat and drink, or watch the sun go down.
But when the first Covid lockdown began in spring last year, visitors were no longer able to come to Tremorran. It was a time which was both challenging and fruitful for
Annie, as she explains in her book, Back to the Garden.
“Arriving in our house on 24th March 2020, to be cared for during lockdown, was mother-in-law, Pam, her dementia giving her no real understanding of the government rules during the pandemic – ‘staying at home’, ‘social distancing’, ‘regular washing of hands’.
“Every day, weather permitting, Pam and I would take a walk round the garden. Over the weeks, we witnessed spring turn into summer, and I would point out all the new things I noticed, as well as the flourishing of trees and plants that were doing well. We waited to see buds turn into blossom and leaves unfurl, and we enjoyed the perfume of roses, herbs and scented plants.
Annie and Pam watched birds enjoying bath time, dragonflies darting above the fishpond, and water lilies opening in the sunshine. Purple echium spires reached to the sky, lily of the valley flowers hid in the shadows, and Annie noticed that her red watering can matched the colour of the camellias.
Back to the Garden is a collection of paintings reminiscent of stained glass windows, partnered with haiku – poems consisting of three lines made up of 17 syllables – all inspired by the place where mother-in-law and daughter-in-law spent so many hours in the summer of 2020. The book takes its title from Joni Mitchell’s song, Woodstock: “We are stardust, we are golden, and we’ve got to get ourselves back to the garden”.
“In the busyness of our everyday lives, it is essential to find space to recharge our batteries,” writes Annie. “The power of nature to heal and restore our sense of wellbeing has been well-documented in recent years, but we have to make the time to be outside, whether we go for a walk, or just sit outside and appreciate our natural surroundings.”
In the summer of 2021, with the easing of lockdown, guests have returned to Tremorran, and Annie is delighted that she is once again able to welcome people to guided garden walks, spirituality days and art and craft workshops – and to share the magic of a very special place.
“warm sun on our backs shadows cast on pond plants fish time stands still we breathe” Shadows by Annie Henry
Summer events:
Soup & Silence, 5th July and 2nd August, 12.15pm Creative Clay, 15th July, 16th August and 26th August, 10.30am or 1.30pm Friendship Walk, 21st July and 25th August, 11am
Tremorran is situated between Botallack and Truthwall. For more information, visit www.tremorran.co.uk, email Annie at missanniehenry@hotmail.com or phone 01736 786272. Back to the Garden can be ordered at https://folksy.com/ items/7622265-Book-Back-to-the-Garden-
