Magnolias at Caerhays Castle

On a remote stretch of Cornwall’s south coast, spring arrives weeks earlier than elsewhere in Britain. Each year, the gardens at Caerhays burst into spectacular bloom. Now, the story of this remarkable place and its world-renowned magnolia collection is told in a major new book, The Magnolias at Caerhays Castle, by estate owner and garden curator Charles Williams. Magnolias are among the oldest flowering plants on Earth and have long fascinated gardeners and plant hunters alike. Thanks to Cornwall’s mild, ocean-tempered climate and deep soils, Caerhays has been able to grow and develop magnolias at a scale rarely seen outside their natural habitats in Asia and the Americas. Since the gardens first opened in 1808, five generations of the Williams family have collected, nurtured and bred plants from around the world. Today, Caerhays holds a Plant Heritage National Collection of Magnolias and is home to more than 750 species, cultivars and hybrids, making it one of the most important magnolia collections anywhere. The book charts the journey of magnolias from early plant-hunting expeditions in China to modern breeding programmes in Cornwall, Europe, New Zealand and the USA. It also shows how new varieties have expanded the range of colours, sizes and flowering times, meaning magnolias are now suited not only to grand gardens, but to smaller gardens and even containers. Richly illustrated with over a thousand photographs taken over many spring seasons, including striking aerial images of mature trees in bloom, the book offers a rare glimpse into the beauty and scale of the collection, as well as the patience and dedication behind it.