*Photographed by* *David Westwood Photography*.

A season of blooms, community & giving back

Over four Charity Garden Open Days, hundreds of people came to Pentillie as the gardens slowly came to life, from the first snowdrops and daffodils to magnolias and rhododendrons, then eventually, wisteria spilling across the terraces.

No two days quite looked the same. We had sunshine, hail, fire, archery, foraging, live music, gardening tips, home-grown plants, and naturally, a very healthy amount of cake. Most importantly, we had people. You all wandered, chatted, explored and enjoyed a spring day out with your loved ones, while supporting five charities doing important work across Cornwall and Devon.

Together, we raised an incredible £20,083.64 over four days.

14 March | Cornwall Mind & Devon Mind

Snowdrops, sunshine, a hailstorm & a firewalk

Our first Garden Open Day of the year arrived with the promise of spring. Snowdrops were still flowering in the woodland, the first daffodils were beginning to make an appearance and, for a little while at least, the sun was shining. Then, in true British spring fashion, a sudden hailstorm swept across the estate, sending visitors dashing for shelter before, rather wonderfully, the skies cleared again.

As the afternoon turned into evening, the terraces filled up with people enjoying wood-fired pizza from Kernowforno, while something spectacular was taking place down on the Old Tennis Lawn.

Mark Roberts from Higher Beings Circus brought fire performances to the evening, while Time4Change prepared 50 brave people to take on the firewalk. Among them were Ted, Sarah, Sammie and Charmaine from Team Pentillie, who also crossed the burning embers.

Walking barefoot across hot embers in March might not be everyone’s idea of a spring evening, but it certainly made for an unforgettable one, and one that did a lot of good too, with £15,500.81 raised for Cornwall Mind and Devon Mind, helping them continue their work supporting people across the region with their mental health.

29 March | Veterans Outdoors & Endeavour Archers

Gardening tips, archery and a little friendly competition

Two weeks later, the gardens were looking rather different. Blossom-lined pathways welcomed visitors while the Walled Garden was waking up and there was that unmistakable feeling that spring had finally decided to stay.

Our second open day supported Veterans Outdoors and Endeavour Archers, bringing together two charities with a shared appreciation of community and using outdoor activities to help veterans build confidence and improve their wellbeing.

The Sawmill became the place to get a little competitive, with Endeavour Archers inviting anyone who fancied trying their hand at archery. And over in the Walled Garden, the team from Veterans Outdoors were busy chatting to visitors, sharing gardening advice and talking about the work they do. Their plant stall proved particularly popular, with strawberry plants and aloe vera, grown right here at Pentillie, going home with visitors to start a new life in gardens across Cornwall and Devon.

By the time everyone headed home, £1,008 had been raised for Veterans Outdoors and Endeavour Archers.

12 April | Cornwall Community Foundation

Sunshine, cake and stories from across Cornwall

By the time our third open day came around, spring had really settled into its own. Tulips were bringing colour to the planters, primroses were lining the woodland paths and the trees were beginning to fill with those first fresh green leaves. It was the sort of afternoon that made you want to slow down a little.

This time, we were raising money for Cornwall Community Foundation, supporting their work funding community-led projects across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, from tackling poverty and hardship to helping people and communities who need a little extra support.

Tamas and Lucy from the Foundation joined us for the day, meeting visitors and sharing more about the people and projects their work supports. For some visitors, it was an opportunity to discover the Foundation for the first time; for others, a chance to catch up with familiar faces.

There was plenty happening elsewhere too. Visitors wandered through the gardens and Castle at their own pace, stopped for coffee and cake and settled into the spring sunshine to enjoy a performance from Livewire Youth Project.

It was one of those days where the best moments were perhaps the simplest ones: sitting with a coffee, bumping into someone you hadn't seen for a while, finding a new corner of the garden or staying just a little longer because the sun was out.

The day raised an amazing £1,506.90 for Cornwall Community Foundation.

Read CCF's blog about the day

17 May | Alzheimer’s Society

Wisteria, foraging walks & a final helping of cake

And just like that, it was May. Our final Garden Open Day of the spring arrived with the gardens looking wonderfully full. The wisteria had reached its peak, tumbling across the terraces in great purple cascades. The day was in support of Alzheimer’s Society, whose work provides support, information and guidance for people living with dementia and the people around them.

There was plenty to discover. Joanna from Incredible Edible led foraging walks through the American Garden, introducing visitors to edible plants growing around the estate before inviting them to make their own herbal teas using flowers and herbs gathered along the way.

Meanwhile, things were getting rather busy at the Castle Café.

Quiche, soup, cake and refreshments made their way from the kitchen to the dining room, terraces and gardens, with some of the cakes disappearing at a particularly impressive rate. There were tables full of people, cups of tea being topped up and the general hum of a very good afternoon being enjoyed. It was a lovely note to end the spring season on.

The final total raised for Alzheimer’s Society on the day was £2,067.93, bringing our spring fundraising total to more than £20,000.

Why We Host Charity Garden Open Days

Four open days. Five charities. And a whole lot of community spirit.

It's a number we're incredibly proud of, but what we'll remember most are the days themselves. The people arriving with friends and family. The familiar faces we see year after year. The people discovering Pentillie for the first time. Charity teams chatting to visitors about the work they do. Gardeners swapping tips. People stopping for a slice of cake and ending up staying for another cup of tea. And, of course, the gardens themselves, changing a little every time we welcomed you to explore.

Opening the gardens gives us a chance to share a little piece of Pentillie with you. But it’s also a chance to give back, support local charities, introduce people to the amazing work they do and help raise money that makes a difference to people across Cornwall and Devon.

Somewhere amongst the hailstorm, firewalk, changing blooms, hours spent exploring and countless slices of cake, we raised £20,083.64 together.

Thank you to everyone who came, volunteered, donated or simply spent a few hours wandering our gardens. We’ll open the gardens again next spring, and we’d love for you to be part of it.