Cotehele turns to gold as more than 300 varieties of daffodil bloom
The Daffodil Festival offers a chance for garden lovers and families to see National Trust Cotehele’s collection of more than 300 varieties of historic daffodils, including 200-year-old heirloom varieties.
Every year, the gardens and estate bursts into colour, signalling the arrival of spring and the start of a very special season. This year, Cotehele’s gardeners are marking the occasion with a new take on their handcrafted daffodil display at house, as well as an impressive horticultural display showcasing Cotehele’s blooms.
‘Daffodils form a really important part of our plant collection,’ says Cotehele’s Senior Gardener James Davis. ‘It’s really nice for the garden team to get creative, and to show off the daffodils in such a striking way.’
Furthermore, Cotehele’s gardeners and rangers have now completed planting 1000 ‘White Lion’ daffodils, to join the 5000 ‘Fortune’ daffodils in rows in the Millennium Orchard on the banks of the River Tamar, which can be seen to advantage when driving into Cotehele from St Dominick. This sunny display pays homage to the region’s rich market gardening heritage.
Cotehele House will also be arrayed in splendour, with daffodil arrangements around the striking manor, built in the Tudor period.
There will also be a slate trail highlighting heritage varieties around the garden, family activities and an opportunity to take a closer look at individual flowers in the East Range lobby of the house.
Dave Bouch, Head Gardener at Cotehele says ‘Daffodils are a welcome sight after a long winter, with the first glimpse of bright yellow reminding us that spring is on its way. We all have our favourite places to visit but for me, springtime at Cotehele really takes some beating. The colder weather is holding back the early flowers, but we’re expecting a beautiful display in time for the festival.’
For more information visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk/cotehele.
Photo credit: National Trust Images Mel-Peters
