WELCOME TO THE LOST GARDENS OF HELIGAN NEWSLETTER

Garden Exploration, Plant Centre Opening, Evening Talk...

There are still some tickets left for our event with celebrity gardener Roy Lancaster, which takes place next Wednesday 23rd June.

View details and ticket information

On Wednesday 23rd June the Heligan Nursery will be launching a new Heritage Collection.

The Heritage Collection includes many of the unique Heligan rhododendrons, which have been micro-propagated at Duchy College to ensure they are disease free. Seven years ago, when the gardens were diagnosed with Sudden Oak Death, Defra threatened that we may have to remove all the rhododendron plants from the gardens. At the thought of having to destroy our rhododendrons, most of which are over 100 years old, plans were put into action to ensure that this outcome, which would be devastating, would not happen. By working with Defra we were able to create an alternative way of managing the disease rather than destroying our ancient collection. However, the rhododendrons at Heligan are very old and their lifespan could well be coming to a natural end so another plan was put in place to ensure the unique rhododendron varieties at Heligan could be saved. Many of the species have been successfully micro-propagated as disease free plants and can now for the first time be bought from the Heligan Plant Centre. So now you too can help us secure the future of these historical species, by planting them in your own gardens.

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Another exciting programme of outdoor theatre is being held at The Lost Gardens of Heligan this summer.

Set against the stunning backdrop of ancient rhododendrons, the audience is invited to bring a picnic, share a glass of wine and sit back to enjoy the show in the magical atmosphere of Heligan by night.

Local Cornish company Miracle Theatre starts us of with their adaptation of Romeo and Juliet on Thursday 22nd July.

View details and ticket information

We are very happy to be hosting the annual summer event for the Cornwall Wildlife Trust this year.

On Saturday 31st July the gardens and estate will be alive with wild activities all aimed at promoting the wonderful work carried out by the Cornwall Wildlife Trust. This event is free to garden visitors.

View event details

Jim Briggs ~ Wider Estate Manager, talks us through some of the sights emerging at the start of the summer season...

Firstly, I must recommend a visit to the Shepherd’s Hut by the lakes in Lost Valley if you want to unwind. It goes quite quiet down there after 3 o’clock and there is always something to watch. At the moment the dragonflies and damselflies are emerging, with toads and froglets due soon. You might also be lucky and see a kingfisher, we have had a few reported sightings down in Lost Valley and even one at Horsemoor Hide!

Bob, our resident wildlife surveyor, was showing me a pair of Spotted Fly Catchers on Woodland Walk the other day, right next to where Great Spotted Woodpeckers have recenlty been filmed nesting. Bob also set up a hide on the House lawn (he has special backstage passes), to film and photograph a vixen and her cubs.

The barn owls are still live on heliganwild.com and although we were unable to get an inside nest box view this year, we are sure by the behaviour of the pair that there must be eggs or possibly chicks inside – the next few weeks will tell. Other nest-cam views this year have included the jackdaws, a blue tit family, a blackbird nest, great tits living on the side of the Heligan Shop which can be viewed on a screen inside the shop, swallows with their chicks and recently pied wagtails nesting in the Pineapple Pits!

Various other wildlife sightings include green woodpecker, nut hatch nest in Lost Valley and nut hatch young at the Ticket Office feeder, grass snakes in ponds and on dry land, badgers and their cubs and a roe deer doe and fawn who are seemingly new residents of the woodland near Horsemoor Hide.

Sarah de Courcy takes a walk through The Lost Gardens...

It is always a great luxury to leave the office for a wander around the garden in search of the "best bits" you can find that day. You could do this task every day and each would give you something new to admire. My walk today seemed particulalrly luxurious as it has been a gorgeous summer's day complete with baking sun and a cool sea breeze, perfect garden watching weather!

As always I headed out first to the Productive Gardens, I used to work here so they are a natural favourite! To get to the Flower Garden I decided to take a detour through the Sundial Garden to see how the newly planted boarder is taking shape, it was quite a shock, you wouldn't have thought it was only a few weeks ago that the ground lay bare with the ammount of colour there now.

On reaching the Flower Garden I find the largest flower beds fully planted, with the traditional row of sweet peas standing guard over the planting and already begining their climb up the pea sticks. It is a great time of year to visit the Flower Garden, although it is not yet in full bloom it does afford you a good view of how regimented the planting is. Asters are now planted, sweeping in unison towards the dipping pool, so precisely you can hardly believe it has been completed simply with a measuring stick, some string and a few bamboo canes!

Moving on into the Vegetable Garden I am struck by how much everything has grown since I last came through, which was actually only a few days ago! A mass of peas are currently making their way up the willow sticks which have been painstakingly weaved together to provide a support to the plants. An abundant array of delicate white flowers have already begun to cover the peas, promising a full crop soon to come.

I finish today's walk in the Northern Summerhouse. As I step onto the beautiful cobbled walk way I am greeted by the sweet smell of white "pinks", by the soothing sound of water falling from the fountain and by the stunning view out across St. Austell bay, soften by a summer haze. 

Walking back towards the office I am so glad I had the time to walk out into the gardens today. So thank you for receiving this newsletter, which afforded me the opportunity! I hope you too will be able to enjoy a visit soon.

Mike has worked at The Lost Gardens for 13 years and originally began his career at Heligan in the walled Flower Garden.

The Garden Manager at The Lost Gardens of Heligan, Mike Friend, oversees the running and garden planning of Heligan’s Northern and Southern gardens, which cover a wide range of landscapes including Victorian Pleasure Grounds and the sub-tropical Jungle.

Mike holds a City and Guilds qualification in Amenity Horticulture gained at Duchy College, as well as a National Diploma in Commercial Horticulture from Writtle College, Essex.

Mike’s area of expertise lies in amenity horticulture and he has a special interest in exotic plants, which is highlighted by the extensive additions he has made to the Jungle garden at Heligan.

"One of the many things I love about my job is the diversity. I have to put on several different 'hats' which can be challenging but very rewarding."

We hope you have enjoyed our newsletter. If you have any comments please get in touch via our website contact page.