Our garden tour of Cornwall continued with a visited to The Lost Gardens of Heligan, near St. Austell. This is a garden that fell into neglect and was lost under overgrowth for decades until it was rediscovered and then very slowly recovered and restored. It is a romantic botanical Sleeping Beauty story that has captured the imagination of the gardening world for the last 20 years.
Clik here to view.
Mud Maid at Heligan
We started out by looking at Chatham Island forget-me-nots (Myosotidium hortensia) with their magnificent glossy leaves and blue flowers and then towering bank of rhododendrons that are estimated to be 150 years old.
Clik here to view.
The Jungle at Heligan
Our guide, a Cornish man, started out well with cute stories and a charming Cornish accent but then threw a wobbly when he was asked if he would speed it up in order for us to see all the highlights of the garden such as The Jungle and The Sleeping Goddess (Mud Maid) and so on.
Clik here to view.
Apple tunnel at Heligan
From that point, he began to gallop along at a furious speed and then dropped out completely and said he was going for coffee, abandoning us to explore the rest of the garden on our own.
Clik here to view.
Scarecrow at Helicon’s food garden
We were a little bemused but it also turned out to be okay and we were able to see everything we were hoping to see – The Jungle, the Grey Lady, the beautiful bluebell woodlands, the bamboo groves, and tropical pond, Burma rope bridge, Mud Maid and more.
Clik here to view.
Gigantic rhodos at Heligan
But Heligan really should carefully consider who they place foreign visitors with because visitors are often only at the garden once in a lifetime and in many cases have travelled great distances to see the garden’s key features. The last thing they need is a grumpy curmudgeon to spoil their experience.
Clik here to view.
Trunks of 150-year-old rhodos at Heligan
From Heligan, we went to Mevagissy, a quaint fishing village, for lunch. This is a haven for pasties and ploughman’s lunch and other traditional items. The tide was out when we arrived and the fishing boats lay on their side on the harbour mud. But the water came rushing in very soon after and then the harbour was back to its normal, picturesque look with boats gently bobbing and pulling on their rope anchors.
Clik here to view.
Cute garden area at Heligan
After lunch, we visited Caerhay’s Castle Garden, which is one of the most prestigious rhododendron and magnolia gardens in UK.
Clik here to view.
Rhododendrons at Caerhay’s.
This was once the home of J.C. Williams, who was a friend of some of the great plant collectors, and as a result he managed to be the first to acquire some of the most celebrated rhododendrons and magnolias, including many yellow forms.
Clik here to view.
Wendy Plain at Caerhay’s Castle garden in Cornwall
In some areas, we were delighted to find rows of super-fragrant rhododendrons in full bloom. It was a treat to go from one to another and smell the fabulous fragrances.
The magnolias were also still in bloom and this, too, was treat for the eyes.
Clik here to view.
Ian Hass on a walk at Caerhay’s Castle Garden
Tomorrow, we will be visiting Port Isaac, the place where Doc Martin is filmed, and then to Tintagel, the home of the King Arthur legend, and finally into Padstow for dinner.
Clik here to view.
Down in The Jungle at Heligan
Clik here to view.
