March 19th 2023
This morning we walked to The Lost Gardens of Heligan, from Homer’s door to the Reception was 100 metres 😂 no great strain there.
As it is Mother’s Day today I thought it would be a nice treat for Michelle ( I will get a refund from the daughters later😂) at least she got a bunch of free daffodils.
The Heligan Estate has been owned by the Tremayne Family for over 400 years and covers 200 acres. After WW 2 Heligan House was sold and converted into flats, the amazing gardens were created in the mid 18th century and continued to be developed until the beginning of the 20th century. Having fallen into a state of neglect over several decades in the 1990’s a restoration project began which continues today.
We started our exploration by taking the woodland walk path, here there were banks of daffodils and interesting sculptures.
The gardens contain aged and colossal rhododendrons and camellias, and these lead to and area called The Jungle with sub tropical tree ferns.
Closer to the original house are more formal maintained gardens, including a large enclosed vege plot which included a pineapple growing greenhouse. Several of the original buildings including the original Stewards house have been converted into cafes/ food outlets, the food looked amazing but we didn’t indulge ourselves today.
taraabit 
I visited the gardens in 2003 with my mother. It was very much a work in progress then. Interesting that restoration work is ongoing still. I am sure much will have changed since my visit, but I remember the Giant’s Head and Mud Maid. I also remember giant leafed plants that looked like rhubarb in a swampy bit.
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