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Morrab Gardens

…the sub-tropical oasis in the heart of Penzance

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Zen Gardens: Julia Grigg’s Morrab Miscellany

21/12/202121/12/2021 Julia Grigg
For the last in her Morrab Miscellany series, Julia meditates in the serenity of a Zen garden, and selects spectacular flowering plants beginning with 'Z'
 Morrab Miscellany  Leave a comment

Yellow – symbol of light, warmth and prosperity: Julia Grigg’s Morrab Miscellany

10/12/202110/12/2021 Julia Grigg
Julia recalls the dazzling yellow of chrysanthemums featuring in the Vietnamese spring festival, and returns to a chilly northern Europe for the mid-winter festival of Yuletide
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X for eXtinction!: Julia Grigg’s Morrab Miscellany

01/12/202103/12/2021 Julia Grigg
Julia considers the threat of species eXtinction and the part we can all play to protect species that we depend on - and too often take for granted.
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W for Woolf, Watsonias and Winter Gardens: Julia Grigg’s Morrab Miscellany

20/11/202120/11/2021 Julia Grigg
Julia muses on the time Virginia Woolf spent in Cornwall - did she perhaps visit Morrab Gardens? - recalls the work of the visionary poet William Blake and gets some inspiration for the garden in Winter
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Volunteers at Morrab Gardens

V for Volunteers: Julia Grigg’s Morrab Miscellany

10/11/202110/11/2021 Julia Grigg
Reaching V in her miscellany, Julia celebrates the work of Volunteers - in particular the Friends of Morrab Gardens who volunteer their time and skills to assist in the upkeep of the gardens.
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A postcard, probably early C20th, showing the cordyline avenue near the south entrance to Morrab Gardens

U for Unwelcome Visitors!: Julia Grigg's Morrab Miscellany

01/11/202101/11/2021 Julia Grigg
Reaching U in her blog, Julia considers unwelcome visitors - both human and non-human! On a happier note we remember Reginald Upcher, who designed Morrab Gardens more than 140 years ago, and celebrate a garden writer who has provided her readers with a great leap forward in UNDERSTANDING how to garden better
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T for Trees, Tresco and Tradescant: Julia Grigg’s Morrab Miscellany

15/10/202101/11/2021 Julia Grigg
Julia celebrates trees in some of the notable gardens around Penzance, takes a trip to Tresco and enjoys a fictional account of the life of gardener and naturalist John Tradescant.
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Sculpture, symmetry and sustainability: Julia Grigg’s Morrab Miscellany

15/10/202115/10/2021 Julia Grigg
With a reminder that the natural world is already preparing for spring, Julia considers the work and legacy of sculptor Barbara Hepworth, the symmetry of David Hicks' garden designs and a local example of sustainability in gardening.
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Humphry Repton, Robbie Burns and red, red roses: Julia Grigg's Morrab Miscellany

15/09/202115/09/2021 Julia Grigg
In Julia's stroll through the alphabet we reach R and meet garden designer Humphry Repton who was famed for his Red Books; and Scottish poet Robbie Burns known for comparing his love to a red, red rose.
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Q for Quirky, Quiet Gardens – and Q!: Julia Grigg's Morrab Miscellany

01/09/202101/09/2021 Julia Grigg
Reaching Q, Julia finds gardens that offer moments of quiet, celebrates a radio classic and recalls a poet and novelist who was known as ‘the greatest living Cornishman'.
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Blog Authors

Becky Mole

Becky grew up in Cornwall, from an early age spending as much time as she could around plants. She studied horticulture at the Eden Project, gaining a 1st class degree in Garden and Landscape Design.

Becky has worked as a gardener for private clients, often rejuvenating old abandoned gardens and occasionally working on larger estates. Over the past 15 years she has developed her business as an online garden nursery selling plants, bulbs, seeds and accessories which she posts direct to the buyer.

Becky is professionally and personally passionate about wildlife, ecology and sustainability, as well as the importance of green spaces and horticulture in mental health. She runs her nursery on organic principles and is proud to now have a fantastic biodiversity on site - leafcutter bees who moved in of their own accord, numerous smooth and palmate newts and even stick insects.

Julia Grigg

I’m newly arrived in Penzance, coming at last to settle in Cornwall. To where I have history: my maternal grandmother having been born on St Michael’s Mount. Living in the neighbourhood of Morrab Gardens, I’m delighted to be contributing this blog through 2021 to the Gardens’ website.

Mark Charlton

Mark Charlton describes himself as a trainee market gardener and recent ethnobotanist. He recently moved to West Cornwall to join the team at Little Cliff Kitchen Garden. It is part of Trenow Fields, a new little farm on Mounts Bay with big ambitions to re-generate a healthier land to support healthier lives. Under organic conversion, the tiny team are committed to improving biodiversity and the health of the soils to sustainably grow delicious food and medicinal herbs for the local community and beyond. The vision is that the whole project will become an exemplar of diversity and rural regeneration to inspire others including the farm's landlords the National Trust.

Martin Pallett

Martin works across Cornwall as a teacher, which gives him plenty of opportunities to visit many of Cornwall’s outstanding gardens, including ours at Morrab. Martin and his wife set up Bleuyjowa five years ago, selling locally a range of interesting and unusual plants many of which are tender mostly from their road-side Plant Stand and also for collection by arrangement.

Paul Brett

Paul is a volunteer gardener with the Friends of Morrab Gardens, and also looks after the Morrab Gardens website and social media channels.

Browse Julia’s Morrab Miscellany

  • Zen Gardens
    For the last in her Morrab Miscellany series, Julia meditates in the serenity of a Zen garden, and selects spectacular…
    Continue reading »
  • Yellow – symbol of light, warmth and prosperity
    Julia recalls the dazzling yellow of chrysanthemums featuring in the Vietnamese spring festival, and returns to a chilly northern Europe…
    Continue reading »
  • X for eXtinction!
    Julia considers the threat of species eXtinction and the part we can all play to protect species that we depend…
    Continue reading »
  • W for Woolf, Watsonias and Winter Gardens
    Julia muses on the time Virginia Woolf spent in Cornwall - did she perhaps visit Morrab Gardens? - recalls the…
    Continue reading »
  • V for Volunteers
    Reaching V in her miscellany, Julia celebrates the work of Volunteers - in particular the Friends of Morrab Gardens who…
    Continue reading »
  • U for Unwelcome Visitors!
    Reaching U in her blog, Julia considers unwelcome visitors - both human and non-human! On a happier note we remember…
    Continue reading »
  • T for Trees, Tresco and Tradescant
    Julia celebrates trees in some of the notable gardens around Penzance, takes a trip to Tresco and enjoys a fictional…
    Continue reading »
  • Sculpture, symmetry and sustainability
    With a reminder that the natural world is already preparing for spring, Julia considers the work and legacy of sculptor…
    Continue reading »
  • Humphry Repton, Robbie Burns and red, red roses
    In Julia's stroll through the alphabet we reach R and meet garden designer Humphry Repton who was famed for his…
    Continue reading »
  • Q for Quirky, Quiet Gardens – and Q!
    Reaching Q, Julia finds gardens that offer moments of quiet, celebrates a radio classic and recalls a poet and novelist…
    Continue reading »

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Recent News

  • Zen Gardens

     21/12/2021
  • Yellow – symbol of light, warmth and prosperity

     10/12/2021

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Penzance, Cornwall TR18 4DA

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