CANONTEIGN Falls has been awarded National Plant Collection status by Plant Heritage. This coveted status was awarded for successfully bringing two globally renowned fern collections back to life. The ongoing conservation work means that the two plant collections now have a secure future ahead and will remain for future generations.

The fern garden was created in the mid-1800s when fern gardens were all the craze in Victorian Britain.

As the prosperity of the Canonteign Estate waned during the 20th century, the fern garden was lost and forgotten.

Canonteign’s owner Kate Baylis rediscovered the collection by chance in 2009 when extreme weather exposed an elaborate fernery planted in a quarry-like area through which the original waterfall stream still flows. The garden had been lying dormant for more than 100 years.

Now the collections have been uncovered, they are flourishing once again thanks to Canonteign Falls’ unique microclimate.

Kate has since added more rare varieties to the collection, by working with fellow National Plant Collection Holder Julian Reed to duplicate some of the plants in his collections. This will further safeguard these species.

Kate Baylis said: The Fern garden is an incredibly special place with a magical feel. To restore and preserve this unique garden and its history became very important to me.

‘We have worked on restoring the garden to its former glory for many years, so to be at a place where we have such a wonderful variety of ferns recognised by Plant Heritage as a National Collection is such an achievement.

‘In becoming a National Collection we are taking on stewardship to protect these ferns, ensuring there’s a legacy and gene pool for years to come.

‘We plan, with Julian’s help, to grow this collection and add rare varieties to it that might otherwise be lost.

‘We would like to say a very special thank you to National Plant Collection Holder Julian Reed, who curated the collection, to Amy Greenman, our CEO, who has overseen the whole project. They both put in a huge amount of work and without them, the Plant Heritage collection would not have been realised. We’d also like to thank Bruce Boulton and our Estate Management team.’