Nestled in a sheltered position overlooking Mount's Bay, the sights and smells from this exquisite garden are positively tropical.

With such a mild climate, it is easy to see why this garden is home to so many tender exotics.

The name Trengwainton is Cornish for 'the settlement of spring' - a reference to the particular beauty of this favoured part of Penwith. Trengwainton Garden is positioned in a sheltered area with beautiful views over Mount's Bay and the Lizard Peninsula.

Due to the exceptionally mild climate in west Penwith, you will be able to see tender exotics that wouldn't survive anywhere else in the UK.

Photinia at Trelissick

Trengwainton is largely a 20th century creation although there has been a house here at least since the 16th century.

Lieutenant Colonel Sir Edward Bolitho, whose family came here in 1857, began work on the garden after he inherited the rambling Victorian house in 1925.

As you meander through the gardens you will find that they have been divided up so you can take in the major features and plants of special interest.

Rhododendendron Macabeanun - an award winning flower for Trengwainton Gardens

Highlights of the Trengwainton Garden include 'The Jubilee Garden' where you can see examples of the tall self-sown triennial Echium pininana from Madeira which sends up towers of blue flowers up to four metres high.

The Lower Drive is home to the Gingko biloba, the Maidenhair Tree which is the oldest living species of tree. Some specimens are more than a thousand years old; others survived the atomic blast at Hiroshima.

There is the Campbellii Garden in which the many Magnolia trees blossom in February and March bursting with large, cup-shaped, rose-pink flowers. It is also possible to see one of the largest Magnolia trees wihich dates back to 1926.

Once you approach Trengwainton House you can walk along The Terrace from where you can look out across Mount's Bay for spectacular views toward the Lizard peninslua.