At the outer edges of the land, the granite archipelago known as The Isles of Scilly presses west into the eroding force of the sea while tectonic forces tilt the whole southwest part of Britain downwards. Luckily, our experience of Tresco and St. Mary’s Islands was gentle- blessed with fine weather and spring’s incredible proliferation of blooming plants from the world’s maritime areas bursting from every stone terrace and lichen-covered fence of the Tresco Abbey Gardens. The gardeners turned guides –for the day – passionately shared their knowledge of the exotic plants brought from South Africa, the Canary Islands, Mexico, Chile and other nations far warmer than this one. The collection boasts 20,000 plants from 80 countries! Careful planning and planting, growing buffers and hedges over many decades created microclimates where unusual sub-tropical plants can prevail in a northern climate.

The gardens are stunning and surprising and remarkable: a joy to photograph and to stroll in and around.  Walking further afield we appreciated some of the indigenous and naturalized wildflowers as well as the rocky outcrops and views of the sea.

Hugh Town on St. Mary’s Island, is a truly quaint and quiet seaside resort. Whether enjoying a pint or a coffee, the local shop owners welcomed us with kindness and curiosity and joined in with Alison and company’s joy of portrait photography.

Others headed out onto the trails to explore the granite boulders and outcrops around the lighthouse, or to look at the remains of old settlements. The presence of those that did the masterful back-breaking work of stacking the stone fence rows now decorated with wildflowers and lichens still remains, and offers a part of the story of those who worked to make a living from this rocky shore.