The Lost Gardens of Heligan

I have visited the Lost Gardens of Heligan several times since it opened in the late nineties and have visited at different times of the year including February, April and August. There is certainly something to see all year round but I admit it was least interesting in the winter and most crowded in August. I never tire of the place and enjoy the mix of different gardens, the history behind it and its long established look. Reading the information panels that can be found all round the garden and seeing the before and after pictures is amazing and you come to realise that no matter how weedy your garden becomes you can always bring it back from the brink. I can’t imagine standing in the lost garden and thinking, right, best make a start then. There has been such an enormous amount of effort put into rediscovering this garden and recreating the old as well as seamlessly adding new improvement to it.

The entrance fee for a family ticket is £30 so it well worth using the 25% off leaflet that you can pick up at The Eden project as this takes £7.50 off the price, which is enough to fund a box of souvenir biscuits from the gift shop! Children get given a little compass and a map or trail upon entering and they can amuse themselves looking out for all the different things to tick off the trail. Even without the trail there are plenty of interesting nooks and crannies to explore so children are unlikely to get bored.

There is no set route around the garden and no obvious way of exploring it in an order that will allow you to take everything in without some degree of retracing your steps. We usually start with the kitchen garden because this is something we are particularly interested in. It’s nice to compare what they have planted out with what we have growing to make sure we are on track. Off this garden is a courtyard with a melon house and pineapple pits where, historically, more exotic plants were grown. Then there are a maze of walled gardens set out with different looks and purposes and I admit I am always jealous of their peach growing greenhouses.

Beyond the walled gardens are some more rugged nocks; a crystal grotto, a ravine and well. Then off to a part of the garden with a lean towards the animal lover with dovecotes, poultry and wildlife hid. At the bottom of the garden is the lost valley which is pretty much just a walk through a country lane along a river but it is peaceful and a nice place to stroll with the family.

Our favourite part of the garden is the Jungle Garden. This is a spectacular loop of boardwalks and bridges working their way down from the house in a narrow gorge. It is densely planted with a whole host of exotic plants – bananas, giant redwood, bamboo, tree ferns, gunnera, rhododendrons, canna lilies and camellias – that work perfectly to create a jungle feel. Not only can you stand amongst it and wonder what country you might be in but also which geological era, for it has a feeling that maybe a dinosaur might just come crashing out of the undergrowth at any minute.

Finally, the woodland walk back to the gift shop takes you past The Grey Lady, Mud Maiden and Giant sculptures and the Giant Adventure Trail so even as your feet ache and your energy is waning there is something to keep you amused.