Abbey Garden diaries July 2025

As my final few weeks working at Tresco Abbey Garden come to an end, I’ve been trying to soak up as much as I can from the garden’s recent offerings. It is bittersweet to be leaving the garden, the island and the sub-tropical plants I’ve come to know and love so well - along with the friends and colleagues I’ve met and learnt so much from over the course of my scholarship. The year has moved so fast in many ways, and I can’t quite believe we are already in July. As gardeners, we are so categorically aware of the seasons, the weather and how this affects plant growth and the plants we should be looking out for each month based on their life cycles. Every day is a consideration of the weather and a discussion about garden tasks which take priority based upon this. This year on the Scillies, as with the mainland UK, summer has been exceptionally dry and warm, causing a lot of plants to bloom much earlier than normally expected.

One such example is Corymbia ficifolia, commonly known as red flowering gum/eucalyptus originating from Australia. This tree is usually in flower at the beginning of September, but some around the garden are beginning to bud up with a few flowers already blooming as we move into August. One of the trees on the middle terrace is slowly coming into flower for the first time since it was planted in the garden. It was originally grown from some seeds that our Head Gardener obtained from Tasmania some 15 or so years ago. It’s very jarring to see this beginning to flower now and a reminder that plants are a true signifier of the effects of climate change.

Similarly, the Agapanthus orientalis subsp. Praecox is also experiencing an early flourish, normally arriving at full flower deep into August, with a lot of them already going over now at the end of July. They’re dotted all throughout the garden, adding hints of blue and white to the borders and creating deep contrasts with the oranges of the Leucospermums on the top terrace and the pinks of the Watsonias on the surrounding garden perimeter. They are also well known for being a garden escapee, having settled into the sand dunes amongst the surrounding beaches, creating a majestic sea of blue flower heads in amongst the grasses and heathland. I’ve been patiently waiting all year to see the Agapanthus do their thing and I am so glad to have seen them before I leave.

A surprise for me this month has been the lilies who have burst onto the scene with their vibrant blooms along the long walk, the well garden and beyond. I’ve been particularly drawn to Lilium auratum which is thriving in amongst the Woodwardia radicans, Pseudowintera colorara and Cyrtomium falcatum in the well garden. It is noticeable because of its huge white, speckled flower heads which provide a sweet scent as you meander through the quiet surroundings. The abundance and sheer size of the flowers it produces means it often becomes top heavy on its thin, tender stem, leading it to dramatically flail around in the garden beds.

Leonotis leonurus is another striking plant which was unfamiliar to me before coming to Tresco. It is more commonly known as the lion’s ear/tail and is endemic to South Africa. This shrub is currently flowering on the top terrace, poking its luminescent orange tiered flowers out behind Eriocephalus africanus. It reminds me of Phlomis with its whorled flowers appearing on erect stems, but with a distinct orange twist.

In complete contrast to the bright, unmissable blooms of Leonotis leonurus is Anigozanthus flavidus or commonly Kangaroo Paw. This plant is easy to miss with its long, thin stems and inconspicuous sprays of tubular flowers. Despite this, it’s an incredibly interesting plant whose stems you’ll see towering up along the cross ways in amongst the Coleonema puchellum. It is a hardy plant, able to grow in a wide range of conditions and its underground rhizome allows the species to regrow after drought or fire. A particularly useful plant to consider growing in our ever-changing climate.

It's always hard to move on from a garden that you have spent time nurturing and helped to develop, but I’m thankful to have been able to undertake this experience which is truly unlike any other I’ve had before. Despite feeling sad to leave the garden and the team, the plants will continue growing and flourishing regardless of human interaction. I’m just happy to have had the opportunity to be a part of that for a short time, enjoying getting to know the Tresco Abbey Garden plants and developing my understanding of what it means to be a gardener.