History

The Old Mill Herbary

A Recollection by Mrs Brenda Whurr

This is a Saga of the creation of a Garden which evolved into the Old Mill Herbary, & became well known to Enviromentalists & Conservationists Worldwide. This project was commenced in January 1984.

Having a Medical background & being given £20 by my Father in law,I, Brenda Whurr had a vision: Arriving at Helland Bridge Cornwall, after meeting my mate, I commenced the task of creating a Herb Garden. The terrain with 1:5 gradient was daunting to say the least, but with Yorkshire grit & determination I began to dig out the top, middle & lower paths to make a couple of terraces, each about 150m long. This was not labour but enjoyment, working with the earth and elements. When our chimneys were rebuilt, we saved the bricks; these were stored for some years before being incorporated into a small border wall. I must mention that before I started the border I had to dig out much debris e.g. old corrugated iron, glass, & even a rusty bicycle, shale, stones, roots, bottles, buttons you name it, all this rubbish had been put there over the years because in those days there was no refuse collection. The Mill House was owned by Colquite Estate & built circa: 1820 & tenanted by many families who worked on the Estate; some of whom have contacted me over the years. In those days rubbish was disposed locally on various areas of  land, but by now I have managed to dig most of it up, you never know if there are still things lurking there, which manage to come to the surface as the worms work , filtering the soil.

BULLS HEAD

One day we all went to Polkerris for a meal & took Rob’s Father. We walked up the village & came across a sign saying sculptures. We made enquiries and asked if a Bulls head could be made. Birds of prey & Owls were her main work. We discussed the matter and she asked me to send any photos we had of Bulls. This we did and left her with the project. Sometime after she called us to ask us to visit & see what progress she had made. We were well pleased, a few months later we went to visit for the final time. My husband had in fact given her two real horns, brought from his family farm in 1970. We then discovered a Cornish Granite Roller. In those days we were a little younger & were able to move the roller up to the middle terrace. The base was made & the roller was put upright, it was then cemented down with large stones. The sculpture duly arrived which we placed on the Cornish Roller & it looked ‘Proper’. I had this notion that bulls were a sign of power, strength & virility that is why the garden is based on an unabashed Greek/Roman Fertility Theme, suggested by a lady who was the instigator of the Gardens of Cornwall free leaflet. After a while it was decided to paint the horns, eyes & mouth gold which are ongoing. He is always put away in the winter for protection. Continuing work on the garden, I purchased 4 shrubs & a fig tree with the £20 My Father in Law had already given me. He dug the hole & placed slates around to constrict the roots. The fig tree is still here & has a hair cut every now & then. It was situated by a wall & I have taken a few cuttings over the years. Remember Adam & Eve? A cutting from the original tree has been planted at the end of the garden where the woodland commences.

In the early days a young Japanese Lady who was a member of the Herb Society saw an article on herbs which I had written. She contacted me by letter as she was fluent in English and held an international driving licence.   

Her objective was to come with her husband who had no knowledge of English & bring her 3 months old daughter too. They would be looking for a cottage to rent near us & would purchase a car. In the meantime they sent us a bankers order for £600, for deposit on the rent of a cottage. We made contact with a friend who knew what was available in rented property. Arrangements were made, a time was decided & the date of arrival came. Just before then three large Air Mail boxes were delivered totally covered in stamps, one contained clothes, another food & one of books. These amazing people came & we took them to the bank to open an account & transfer money from Japan to U.K. The next move was to visit a local garage; they choose a small second hand Metro car with the help of my husband who obtained them extra discount, & followed us home. The salesman was astounded as they paid in cash which they had just withdrawn from the bank. The law regarding young children meant that they had to buy a child’s car seat. After getting the car seat fitted all was sorted out. We took them to their cottage & left them to unpack. Spring was just around the corner so driving was safer for Akemi. My husband took her to a nearby old unused aerodrome and helped her driving the car .After a few lessons she was well practiced & ready to drive on UK roads. Her husband did not drive so he used to look after Kyomi.

Akemi was breast feeding on command so she often just stopped what she was doing & fed the baby. No bottles or paraphernalia was needed. This fascinating family visited parts of Cornwall many of us have never seen. Sundays were spent in the local community at church as they were Christians which was most unusual.  This is where they found out a lot of local information. Akemi had been to the U.K. before she was married & had visited Kew Gardens, learning about plants from around the world. She stayed around the area with a lady who offered her accommodation. We still hear from them now & again, Kiosumi has learnt to drive & speak English, he drove into our yard a few years ago & was visiting Cornwall because he was an Art dealer. Kyomi is now 15yrs old. Maybe we will see her again one day.

Visitors over the years have supplied me with many anecdotes, e.g. A couple of nurses working for the N.H.S. one a district midwife & the other working with the elderly as a Geriatric Nurse. “One seeing them in & the other one seeing them out”

All this time I was continuing digging, leveling & raking the paths, many a day I was working up to 9pm in the evening that was after my husband had fed me. I was in my forties then, & had the physical energy.  A local man used to come & visit me for a chat; he often brought me a couple of plants for the garden. He told me in the old days the local children from employees of Colquite Estate used to come & play here & fish in the River Camel. We had long chats about anything, in fact he did his courting on our secret islands by the R. Camel; I had another visit from another young boy who lived across the Bridge. He said ‘you must be MAD’, I told him I wanted to start a garden. Another man who used to live here; since left the area, advised me not to overdo it. I still carried on & the garden is still progressing with a lot of maintenance. The work keeps me fit mentally & physically alert. My husband does all the strimming, grass cutting, felling dead trees & hedging, I try and help when possible.

The Green Man

In the 60s I visited Crete & Greece & bought a postcard of Bacchus. A retired art master from WadebridgeSchool came & visited us. As he was retired I asked him if he still did any sculptures. I showed him my post card he replied, “No problem”. The deal was struck with the post card, & work commenced. After some weeks we agreed to collect the statue having seen it being made in his front garden. I think he had many comments about it; St. Mabyn is a small village which was not used to statues of that kind being seen!  It was then duly covered after each session. Finally we had a call to say that he was ready for collection, this was June 1989. My husband connected the trailer plus ropes & pieces of foam, with a few old blankets and coats. We managed to place Bacchus on his back in the trailer, covering up his vital statistics. At that time some major damage to HellandBridge was being repaired by two lovely Cornish workmen from the Council. We asked them if they would give us a hand to place him on the granite base which my husband had previously placed ‘in situ’. We have a motorized wheel barrow which came in very handy as ‘Bacchus weighed ‘a ton’ being over 6ft Tall!  & made of cement fondue. We managed to place him on the plinth & thanked the men very much for helping, the comment was, “I was going to bring my wife to see the garden but seeing him thought it was inappropriate!” Another funny thing happened; we opened the garden for Truro Cathedral Organ fund. A couple of ladies walked up the garden, returned & commented; ‘Bet that he had been drinking Carling Black Label’!

The Legend of the Green Man

Protector of the plants, keeper of the cycle of rebirth.  The green man legend goes back many centuries. Originally a pagan deity, he was absorbed into early Christianity and depicted in many forms in books and churches across Europe. He is a symbol of regeneration and is associated with rebirth and virility. He is strongly associated with the beginning of spring - a symbol of May time. In 2001 some visitors who were artists & ran their own business were very interested in the garden. After talking with them about ‘Bacchus’ etc, they told us that they had just sculpted a plaque of ‘The Green Man’, so we commissioned one, it was duly made & added to our collection, we do however remove him inside for the winter & Bacchus is covered up.

Click this link for more info The Legend of the Green Man

Ref: ’Hymn to Bacchus / Infernal gallop’ from Orpheus in the Underworld (Offenbach)

Visitors often walk up to the first sculpture, and then run back to their cars to collect their cameras, & return to the garden with a spring in their step.

Thinking about how we progressed, I must mention the greenhouse & various steps which were built by a local mason. The one sided roof of the greenhouse was filled in with rigid translucent plastic corrugated sheeting. The inner wall was rendered and painted with white stone paint, being cleaned every few years & re-painted. A door was hung, water & electricity connected, a large continuous shelf was fixed on two sides for storing plants & seed trays, essential in the growing period.

We planted nearly 200 Gold & Green Lelandii trees on our boundary; as we had people trespassing in our woodland due to no clear definition of ownership. The Bluebell Woodland is now coppiced & we have made a few features, several paths, little arbors etc. We have three islands which are separated by water which runs down a natural stream to the Mill-Leat. These islands were connected by bridge, constructed by my husband & maintained yearly usually in the winter. More bridges were constructed, one at the end of the paddock connecting to the first island, the second from the woodland over the Mill-Leat to the second island. The boundary is the centre of the River Camel a sparkling fast running fishing river. This is a flood plane, before we sorted out the woodland the paddock was full of brambles & Rob’s Father set light to it!! They dug out the Mill-Leat, a chain a day, as it had silted up when the mill was no longer used, & being demolished circa 1939. In 1994 we planted over 40 specimen trees in the water meadow after the grass had been cut a few times & we finished grazing the local farmer’s sheep. We once had potatoes planted there, but lost them all after the meadow flooded. Over the years we have lost a few of these trees but replaced them where necessary.  They have to be trimmed, staked & generally cared for like a family.

Returning to the garden, I had 10 box cuttings given by a friend. I made a knot garden with our initials, it being one of the first features. It was not easy due to the slope; however, things were progressing slowly. Over the years I have grown more box plants from cuttings & planted small hedges which are trimmed twice a year.

One day whilst I was listening to Radio Cornwall & heard a lady from Lanner wanted someone to dig up a large Gunnera Manicata from her garden. I rang up at once, took the address & arranged a visit. We managed to place the huge plant in our small Fiesta, visited our friends in Camborne (they thought ‘Triffids’ had arrived) for coffee & returned home. Next day we split the plant, planted them & many are still here today, very large indeed. Over time & given some away, divided a few more, & planted them by the Mill-Leat. These cuttings were all taken from the original plant.

On another occasion, a gentleman called in to ask me for some Applemint for his Pimms, I obliged of course. One day a couple visited the garden, returned to their car, removed two deckchairs & went to the riverside where they stayed until I closed. Since then I have had a few more visitors do the same, weather permitting.

In June 1986 plans were made to make a natural pond in a boggy part of the meadow near the Mill-Leat. Some Alder Trees, most of them at the end of their life were felled. After that, we made measurements for the pond; this gave us the right place to dig. A digger was hired for the weekend, work started digging out the boggy turf. Unfortunately rain & drizzle made it very difficult; I had to help by putting a plank of wood under the feet of the digger every time it had to be moved to a fresh area. This took a lot of patience & was very hard work. Eventually we had a small island, a natural pond that now began to fill up with water. A small trench was hand dug from the pond to the Mill-Leat letting the water in. The outlet was piped under the path; this is where the water rejoins the Mill-Leat; being a continuous flow. We then started planting, so now after a number of years we have an interesting mixture of bog & water plants. To conclude this feature, my husband built a couple of small bridges connecting the paths with the meadow. This pond has to be cleaned out periodically from overgrown vegetation. A fountain was placed in the pond which helps to aerate the water. Frogs, newts & toads, dragonfly larvae, water boatmen & beetles, abound in summer.

Having finished work on the pond we bought a fountain to go in the centre. A local relative died in 1981, we went to clear up & brought home 3 Granite Mushrooms & 3 Granite Troughs for the garden; a couple of Granite Mushrooms were placed around the edge of the pond, together with two Antique Urns which we picked up at an auction & one larger urn on a stand. These are planted up in the spring as necessary. All five Granite Mushrooms were brought into the garden from the roadside front of the house due to a large increase in traffic as the Police said ‘people were fancying them’.

Over the years I have received plants from fellow gardeners, likewise I have given away corms, seedlings, & cuttings, two chestnuts to plant, bamboo cut down for staking, & seeds from our own plants in the garden. I have received many pots to re-use for which I am most grateful. One day I actually caught someone taking cuttings from Rosemary;I challenged her, & she apologized. If people want a cutting they only have to ask? We all know that avid plants people always get a buzz out of free cuttings etc, including myself! “Blessed is he that is not found out!”

 

Another wall was built on the top path with large stones dug from the area which was cleared. This was adjacent to the woodshed, and a small 10ft x 8ft Greenhouse, which we bought from a friend. We collected and rebuilt it, making a base from concrete blocks. This was used for cacti, some which were given to me. Unfortunately one winter day a huge Ash tree from the lane behind the garden, not our tree, blew down & demolished both the woodshed & greenhouse, destroying all my cacti & leaving the woodshed completely destroyed. The huge tree  had to be cut up which took 5 men two days to clear, for part of the trunk was blocking the farm lane, & people needed access. The contents of the woodshed are stored in a neighbour’s barn for which we are most grateful. We were shocked to see the glass all over the ground; it took me two weeks to get enough courage to start clearing up. However, after a month the site was cleared & we started to plan our next move. A new woodshed was built the following year after we repaired the foundations, digging out the back wall & moving the soil & shale to widen the middle path. It is ironic, but we really enjoy our new shed & it house’s our Garden Machinery & acts as a Garden Workshop, if my husband wants a bit of peace you will find him there as it is some distance from the house. We built a new wooden fence & planted two new Lelandii trees in the hedge to fill the gap left by the fallen ash tree.  

One day we decided to widen the sloping path on from the middle path to the top path. Many large round stones were seen dotted around the place; some had been found when the soil had been turned over. The original path was widened & these stones were gathered & featured on boundaries either side of the new path which is on the bank.

Originally, the first little herb garden was developed by building an arbor of large stones after the site had been excavated by hand. The wooden pergola was built placed in situ, and then the site was ready for another statue. On the floor inside the arbor made of stones, was a foundation of large slates. My Father in law visited Malta some years ago & brought home a small silver pendant for me. This was similar to erotic artifax well known in those parts.  As we knew Bill Austin well, the man who made Bacchus, I mentioned this to him &.showed him the pendant & asked his advice. He said he would have a word with his son who is a sculptor. I gave the pendant to Bill & the scene was set. After a considerable period Bill came back to me & said his son would have a go. In the meantime Bill drew a picture which we both approved & then awaited a phone call.

The dye was cast so after a while we were asked to go & look at the progress. It was all very interesting as this sculpture was being made out of fibre glass so a galvanized wire mesh armature had to be made first. We visited the workshop a few times to see the progress. At last we were ready to collect. The trailer was put into gear & driven to the rendezvous. She, He, or It, was brought home, placed in situ in the arbor & lives there today. Since then I have planted climbers on the pergola which now discreetly cover the statue as it is a bit unusual to say the least! We had a young boy here for work experience. One morning he said he had heard a roaring sound & seen many bees going in & out of a hole in the statue. We were advised by our beekeeper friends to place a rag soaked in petrol inside the hole & block it up. It was a difficult job as the statue was situated near the wall; this was done very quickly late one evening when the bees were in & quiet. It was successful & we have left a rag in there ever since!

Some amusing points to mention. Did you know that £ coins are called quidlets? Two Dutch visitors, Mother & Daughter were discussing the history of the garden & how it evolved. Talk eventually came onto the subject of marriage. The young woman said to me, we are “SORT OF” she lived with a man who was a farmer & bachelor, & she was working on him! Did you know that Bank Holidays are called LOONEY DAYS?

As work progressed Medicinal, Culinary & Aromatic Herbs were purchased, enabling the planting of more ground cover plants, & shrubs began to make the garden interesting. We then decided to develop the meadow, we had sheep grazing there from a local farmer on & off for a couple of years. These were a large heavy breed, the occasional one managing to fall in the River. After that episode my husband decided to cut a small area of grass to see how it looked. The next step was the purchase of a John Deere, Diesel ride on Mower; Grass was cut a few times which enabled us to actually see how much land there was. That winter 1993 I sat down with my books to decide which interesting trees to purchase.

The next spring we visited nurseries & choose various species. Some of the large specimens were delivered but others which were smaller we collected ourselves. Initially we had worked out the height & spread, placed markers in the positions so we knew where to plant. Of course they all looked so small that I wondered if I had selected the right ones, after 10 years the meadow  is full of unusual specimens, some which are Medicinal, a few produce flowers & fruit, others have coloured berries with one producing Hops. The trunks are of varied texture, the leaves differ from silver, golden, purple, with many changing colour in the autumn. During their growing period we have had to trim branches, & use the occasional Spanish Windlass which is used to bring the branches together when the trunk has been split by savage winds.

We collected Pittisporum from a relative in 1979 & when we visited the Isles of Scilly the same year I picked up a pine cone, brought it home, grew seedlings & planted one by the far side of the Mill-Leat. These two trees were planted near to each other, one Pittisporum on the bank near the tarmac yard, the other pine tree over the other side of the Mill-Leat. Today they are both very large. I didn’t have any garden at that time so had to plant them where I could.

My husband made me a really strong Flower Press one April and I use it now for pressing many of the plant species which are growing here. I found a very old heavy manuscript book which contained a few old photographs; we bought some acid proof tissue paper, divided the leaves of the book & inserted this special paper between the pages. I try to name all the specimens with Common, Latin & Family names.

Talking about trees, a lady visited us & asked me if I had a Tilia Tree. She would be very grateful if she could have a few leaves for her Hawk Moth Caterpillars she had brought the pupas on holiday but they had hatched out early.

A family from Germany drove into the yard. A lady got out of the car & asked me if I had any Montbretia for sale. I went to the plants which were nearby, pulled a clump out gave her them in a plastic bag. She was most grateful! A mature student also from Germany visited us & I was telling her about this family who wanted this plant. She told me that in Germany this plant was rare & very expensive; I was pleased to help our European Neighbours!

During the early days when Bill Austin used to come in & see my progress, & have a chat, he gave me a plaque of a bull which was one of twelve signs of the zodiac. He had made all the moulds, I asked if he could make me a whole set. They arrived & my husband fixed them to the wall. At this time they are having some T.L.C. There was an auction nearby which advertised garden ornaments. We decided to go to see if there was anything of interest. We purchased two lions, which have been placed on either side of a wall which leads up a path to the garden.

Over the years a large number of granite boulders have been found, these have been incorporated around the edge of the tarmac parking space, interspaced with the odd mushroom; Our own ‘Stonehenge’.

One couple came here & sent me a Chinese Year Calendar which told us what sign we are under. My husband is a metal dragon (yang) & I am a fire ox (yin), obviously a wonderful combination. We have been visited by several Wicca, people who are interested in ley lines, plus the elements - Air, Earth, Fire, and Water. The Wicca felt a strong presence, & energy force from our garden, some come specifically to experience this tranquility that is so elusive these days.

During summer evenings, we usually have a walk through the garden & woodland after closing. Inspiration came in the making of a little arbor, which meant that a small ash tree had to be felled and a flat plank of wood
was attached to the stump to make a seat. The small surrounding ash & hazel trees were layered around the seat, which included tidying a large ash tree at the back. One day in winter my husband went onto one of the islands, adjacent to the R.Camel. Something caught his eye which was lodged in the roots of an old oak tree in our riverbank. He went down into the river & retrieved a piece of very heavy hardwood about 6ft long with a rough carved head one end & managed to lift it out. We let it dry naturally in our shed for some weeks, then repaired the nose & treated it all with creosote. We attached our little Totem to the trunk of the large ash tree behind the seat in our little arbor where he sits overlooking the ancient woodland. Previously some of the thin ash & hazel trees had been layered nearby, making an interesting arch walkway, these need a little care & attention now & then.

A group of three huge granite stones each weighing well over a ton (A Cubic Foot of Granite weighs about 1 cwt) each had lain by the Mill-Leat for more than 30 years. We thought it would be a good idea to have them placed over the Mill-Leat to make a Cornish ‘ClapperBridge’ from the tarmac yard to the meadow. This would enable us to use the trailer on our own land instead of having to use the private lane to access our woodland, which we do when removing logs which have been cut & stacked. A local man was contacted who had a large ‘Caterpillar Swing Shovel’ with a bucket at one end & shovel the other. One evening in the spring he came to remove the granite stones & replace them over the Mill-Leat. The next job was to level them which my husband did with a hydraulic jack. Three railway sleepers were placed in between each piece of granite & then covered with slate & pieces of granite found around the place thus making it wider. A neighbour was digging out new foundations & he gave us some loads of extra top soil to be placed at both ends which made up the ramps & filled up the gaps. We bought some turf, laid it onto the new soil adjoining the bridge. These large granite stones must have been brought here, I expect by a three horse drawn timber carriage or similar, from one of the two ‘GRANITE QUARRIES’ at St. Breward, when the mill was in use. Other than that, how they arrived is a mystery? What a wonderful difference this has made; if we have too many cars to visit us they can drive over this bridge & park in the meadow & shade.

One of the earliest projects was building a half round fish pond on the patio outside our kitchen window. We had some concrete blocks lying by at that time. About a dozen railway sleepers were purchased & built to make one side of a half circle. The blocks were cemented in place. We bought a pond liner which had to be fitted to the half circle. The next job was to place a thick layer of sand which covered the slate stones on the bottom of the pond. Some old carpet covered the sand & the lining was fitted. A shelf had been built inside the pond for marginals. We filled the pond with water & decided to have some Koi Carp; a filtration system had to be built for Koi are very susceptible to nitrates. A large black plastic bin was divided in two partitions, being filled with various filter media; inlet & outlet holes were made for pipe attachments. Electricity was connected to run the small fountain which aerated the water. This was returned through the mouth of a textured cement plaque made in the image of Triton.

One day when we were open for charity, some one came in & asked us if we wanted a concrete frog which was too big for their pond; we were very pleased with our purchase.  The water in the pond was now ready to accept fish; we bought 10 Koi which were only 4” long. Over the years they grew at a great rate & we had another filter placed in the deepest end. These filters have to be changed every day especially if it’s a hot summer.  After ten years or so we lost them all one winter. Otters were the culprits! We had a rest from fish & water lilies were planted in baskets & oxygenators were added. Later we thought we would have a few goldfish as the pond seemed dull without anything swimming about. There are about five new black baby goldfish which have been born since we bought the original 6 goldfish in 2004, we hope these will survive. In May there are many dragonflies hatching, these nymphs take 3 years to mature. Insects abound in summer with frogs, toads, & newts which congregate in the pond; for a wildlife extravaganza.       

A car drove into the yard & parked, I went up to the woman to give her a brochure, having wound down her window she said, “Is the garden worth seeing? We are just deciding whether it is worth looking at”.  I got a bit rattled & asked her to replace the brochure to the rack in the summerhouse, as they were not going round the garden. I disappeared not to be seen again! When I reappeared I found out that my husband had actually taken the entrance money & they had been round the garden. I hope they enjoyed it!

The Woody Man

During the winter of ’99 a large Alder overshadowing our new Cedrus Atlantica was felled. The remaining stump was ’Chain Saw Sculpted’ into a ‘Woody Man’ by my husband; small white stones from the Mill Leat were placed for the eyes & teeth.

I earlier mentioned that we visited a lady who wanted to get rid of her Gunnera Manicata (‘Gonorrhea Plant’). Over a period of time a visitor asked me if it was sexually transmitted! During 1989 I can recall clearing part of the land behind the small greenhouse. The next job was building a small stone wall which was then planted with herbs & the odd shrub, Berberis;that seems such a long time ago.

Two cyclists rode around the yard & said they were amazed at the size of the plant on the bank & could I tell them what it was. Of course I obliged.

One summer’s day a young couple who were from St. Albans came to visit the garden. The husband tried to pick up the baby from the back seat of the car he was very tall at least 6ft. As he bent down he heard his back click this was after he had given the baby to his wife to hold. He was in some pain & went to sit in the driver’s seat. In a short while he became quite ashen & looked as if he was going to faint. I quickly took the baby & his wife tried to talk him round. He then had a fit which lasted about 10 minutes & woke up saying he felt as if he had been in a deep sleep. We managed to get him to the summerhouse where he sat down. I made a cup of tea & left them to have some peace. We had a chat & his wife told me he had suffered a back & knee injury while surfing. “There will be no more surfing”.

Over the last 20 yrs we have had some remarkable visitors. Most people understand the theme of the garden. As I am a plants person I try to cultivate unusual plants which can be a challenge. This keeps me alert & interested in what I am trying to achieve.

When I first came here we used to have a friend to stay, her son came too. My husband decided to construct a GraniteBridge from the lawn over the Mill-Leat leading easy access to the water meadow. A substantial wall was built by hand between the edge of the path & the Mill-Leat thus blocking the main flow of Leat water off from the pond. The next stage progressed & a small GraniteBridge was completed using some of the old Granite
Gate Posts & pieces lying around, with the help from my friend’s son. Since that time my friend married & moved away to the Carlisle area, her son also married & has responsibilities of his own. In 2004 I unfortunately lost my friend from cancer, she kindly left me all her Bonsai Trees to care for.

I am still working on the garden hoping to excavate part of a bank alongside which another small wall will be built in the coming year. There is a root of an ash tree which has been dead & rotting for a few years, once that has been removed  I can start planting the border.

One day I was visiting a local town & was sitting on a seat waiting for the bus. Two ladies came & sat next to me. We got chatting & I recognized one of them (‘she is known as The Witch of Wadebridge’). After a while when she knew where I lived she recognized me. In 1993 we opened for charity & teas were served by this lady, but she certainly remembered the garden!

When I started the garden the first task was to make notes of every plant I bought, in an A-Z book. This has helped me to remember the names which have progressed from Common, to Latin Names, now Family Names. I am still learning!

One day a local friend called in to see me & wondered if I would like some large plastic barrels. He suggested that they could be cut in half, & filled with water to encourage wild life. It was a brilliant idea as now we have 4 small ponds which attract frogs & newts, many water born insects. Water plants & oxygenators keep the water clear. These are situated on the patio & make interesting conversation. There is an Old Granite Cider Press which has been made into a fountain. In the old days with the adjacent apple orchards much cider was made in this.

We have a Cedar Summerhouse which has had some renovation. The windows have been reglazed & reputtied, it has been raised a little higher, the inside has been insulated & covered, then painted pale blue which reflects the light. In the season there is a Panoramic Photograph of the garden which was taken in October 1983 by a friend. We have original OMH postcards for sale. There are also two Albums of photographs of Flora & Fauna taken mostly here by my husband. In the summerhouse there is a list of birds seen here. We have a lovely poem written by a visitor displayed. There are brochures of gardens & places of interest in Cornwall. I have a few reference books for people who want to identify certain plants which they have seen in the garden. There are two lists of plants, one for bees & the other for butterflies. One day we saw a buzzard take a squirrel, they help eradicate vermin which eat precious specimens & cause problems if they colonize your house! There are educational notices which indicate as to what should be planted in gardens to encourage the wildlife. I have one plant grown from a small cutting, Virginia Creeper; it now covers a multitude of sins, completely holding up a dilapidated fence.

 

The OMH is in an A.O.N.B.* & is part designated S.S.S.I.** &  S.A.C.*** Looking around the yard there are two flat smooth pulley wheels & the crook, that was used to move the fast & loose pulleys to put the undershot mill wheel (Long Since Buried) in & out of gear. We have a large granite stone which has a long rectangular slot cut through the middle: This was used to enable a belt to run through & saw wood in winter. The final bevel drive shaft to the mill machinery may be seen lying nearby.

One incident was very amusing to us, but not to the Father of their daughter. This family arrived to visit the garden; a pushchair was removed from the plush BMW car, Mother, Father & Daughter with pushchair & baby commenced their visit to the garden. After a short while the Father returned to sit in the car. Mother & Daughter looked at the plants & as I was working in the garden my husband asked them if they wanted any help. The conversation went like this. “My husband & I went on holiday a couple of years ago & left the daughter at home. Whilst we were away she met a man who f***** her silly! & this is the result, pointing at the baby in the pushchair. He then “LEFT HER!” They collected the baby & pushchair, got into their car & drove away.

Around 2000 a friend who does woodwork made me a large garden seat which is positioned near the chamomile lawn. This feature is much appreciated by visitors due to the spicy perfume. The chamomile lawn (about 20 x 9Ft) is not at all easy to maintain as windborne weed seeds such as rushes arrive to grow & thrive. These weeds have to be hand weeded a long & difficult task. Due to this problem we decided to relay the whole lawn, starting from scratch. We dug it up, laid a layer of sand, covered it with a heavy duty PVC liner, made some drainage holes with a fork, & divided all the plants, resetting them. The first year was fine but I am afraid this did not last. This became my worst nightmare, for every spring these tiresome weeds have to be removed by hand as no weed killer can be used. It is top dressed after replanting each season. Treneague Chamomile was bread in Cornwall & is a clone, having no flower, & is sold by plantlets. I started this project with a few plants & increased stock by dividing & potting on individually into 4” pots; this is a labor of love. This area has since been reseeded to grass & as @ 2006 we have a less labor  intensive ‘CHAMOMILE SEAT ‘

Mary Wesley wrote ‘The Chamomile Lawn ‘a film of this featured on TV. An elderly gentleman, with a twinkle in his eye, from Tregony visited us & asked if I could propagate Treneague Chamomile, as he wanted to make a lawn. His intention was to shock ‘The Locals & Posh Ladies’ after they displayed their disgust about the Film.

After working on the garden for a while we decided to do some research & visited Truro Archives & found records going back as far as 1583, discovering  in June 1653 there was a Herb & Hop Garden here of 1 acre. In 1775 there was a Hop Yard & Orchard. Some of our ’Ancient Woodland Oaks’ may well have been standing & watching since these times. With hindsight I feel that this project was pre-destined. The ashes of my husband’s parents & our Jack Russell ‘Zeta’ are buried here. The garden will continue as long as we are able.

Over the years I have collected various Medicinal Plants from all over the world, a few of which I propagate, including herbs & wild flowers for sale. This interest was born from my previous profession as a S.R.N. of over 20 year’s experience.

A.O.N.B.*  = Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.                            
S.S.S.I.** =   Site of Special Scientific Interest.
S.A.C.*** =   Special Area of Conservation.                                      © Brenda Whurr 2004

 

 

Remembering the Old Mill Herbary at HellandBridge

 

A fertile garden of green earth
A Planting born in precious earth
Soft sun nurtured & lushed by gentle rain
A Cornish garden by spirits & humans lain
Capricious winds play & shake
The lusty seeds and trees awake
The river courses through this land
And the Green Man watches with tending hand
Garden spirits fly with birds of pleasures
Be calmed, find solace in earthy treasures

Treading gently on the chamomile lawn &
On perfumed paths with roses torn
Slowly, slowly by sweet & spicy herbs you pass
Into the dark spirited woods and grass
Enchantment steals the secret place
Of human souls and earth embrace
At peace, at rest by tinkling streams
At the Old Mill Herbary the garden of dreams.

          © Christine Rippon June 2001
© Brenda Whurr 2004