Tregrehan has lost one of its main supporters.

Sir Richard Carew Pole who has passed away recently was the longest serving member on our garden management committee, AND he never missed one meeting since being asked to join in 1990! With his unrivalled experience from the RHS and Royal Academy, as well as running his own Woodland Garden at Antony it has been a huge privilege for us that he found the time to help guide the development and garden opening here at Tregrehan. He understood the importance of sticking to the agenda at meetings and one knew that any point he did make was well backed by wisdom and thought. Humour was only just below the surface mind, and he loved to often lighten proceedings with a self deprecatory story or poke fun where he felt necessary.

Richard never doubted what we have been aiming to achieve and he has trusted us all the way over the past 35 years since the restoration and rejuvenation of the garden began in earnest. He loved Betula spp. and had a lovely collection in the old kitchen garden area at Antony. I took this image of a Betula utilis yesterday that was grown from seed collected in China. I post this photo at Christmas as a tribute to him and so that we can reflect on all of his help here and life of service, especially to Cornwall.

Richard would have liked this tree…..