Lost Gardens of Heligan in Cornwall

I visited these gardens a couple of weeks ago - it was one of the hottest days we had and the whole place was amazing. Not a weed in sight, the veg gardens were simply stunning.

I was staying in a small fishing village called Mevagissey, looking around the 2nd hand bookshop there I picked up the book "The Lost Gardens of Heligan" by Tim Smit for £4.99 instead of £16.99 at the garden shop Certainly a good read for anyone who has been.

The jungle area was great but what sticks in my mind were the huge rhodedendrums and massive bright row of crocosmia lucifer as you go in. Apparently some of the rhodedendrums are so old they aren't sure what variety they are - some measure 75 feet in diameter.

Definitely a place to visit if you're down that way!

 

We are watching on tv just now its amazing hope to get next year.

 

I've been to Heligan twice. Once each on two seperate holidays. It has always been my rule to never holiday in the same locality twice, as there's far too much of the world to see. I broke that rule after my first visit to Cornwall.

We stayed there the first time. By the second time my son was with us so we had to choose accommodation that was a bit more infant friendly, so we stayed at the holiday park at Pentewan, just a mile or so outside of gissy.

The lost gardens of Heligan are truly fantastic. It is easily a full day, but its a leisurely day. As you queue up to get in you get the impression its going to be packed, but once through the gates the place is so vast that the crowds are just absorbed and it is really quiet.

Its great even if you're not really into gardens. The second time we went we took the two mothers (mine and the wife's). The mother in law is really quite lazy, and not really interested in much, but she thoroughly enjoyed Heligan.

Its all the more impressive when you learn that it is only about 20 years since it was rediscovered and restoration started.

I also liked that some of the gardens are actual working gardens, only unlike some, they freely share their experiences with the visitors. In the orchard for example, there are notices explaining that their first attempt failed because they hadn't prepared the ground well enough, and Cornwall's winter gales had destroyed half their trees.

The only thing I didn't like, is that a squad of very well organised wasps ganged up on me in order to steal my jammy scone.

 

What a wonderful programme that was. Really enjoyed listening to the narration.