Lost Gardens of Heligan - Summer 2024

Another Cornwall weekend trip was to the Lost Gardens of Heligan, or in Cornish: Lowarth Helygen meaning "willow tree garden". Located just outside Mevagissey, they are considered to be one of the popular garden attractions in the UK and, like typical 19th-century Gardenesque-styled estates, contain segmented areas of different character and design styles.

Created by members of the Cornish Tremayne family from the mid-18th century to the beginning of the 20th century, the gardens are still part of the family's Heligan estate. Post WW1, the gardens were neglected and were only relatively recently restored in the 1990s. And are now listed Grade II in Historic England's Register of Parks and Gardens.

My favourite garden in the estate was 'The Jungle', the UKs only outdoor jungle, and containing the largest Gunnera I have ever seen. The tropical garden includes a raised boardwalk around the border of the snaking jungle section, that centres of four ponds with numerous crossing points. One including the iconic suspension rope bridge. 

Overall my main initial impression of Heligan was awe at the level of detail in the planting and general hardscaping. There were so many carefully thought-out sections, each with meticulous and unique features. It is a garden I would love to revisit seasonally for the changing experience the varied planting would provide and an attraction I would highly recommend.