WELCOME TO THE LOST GARDENS OF HELIGAN NEWSLETTER

Left: Romeo & Juliet production

Tickets still available for tomorrow night's performance...

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 tomorrow - Thursday 22nd July.

View event details and ticket information here.

Left: Flight of the bumble bee!

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 here.

Left: Brown long-eared bats at Heligan

Monday 2nd, Tuesday 3rd & Wednesday 4th August

This August bat expert Tony Brazier will be taking groups of brave bat watchers on night-time adventures into the fascinating world of Heligan’s Bats.

View event details & ticket information here.

Left: Heligan Barn Owl Chick taken Monday 19th July whilst the Barn Owl Trust came to ring the owlets.

Richard Stafford from Heligan's Wildlife Project team brings you this month's Wildlife Update...

We are now well into July and the wildlife here at Heligan is thriving.

Probably the most exciting news is that we have recently installed a camera into our barn owl box to discover three very healthy owlets! Chris Sperring a conservation officer for the Hawk and Owl Trust came down to supervise the installation and make sure we didn’t cause too much disturbance. Chris estimated the owlets to be five weeks old and said they are very well fed. They certainly should be with the parents delivering food 10-15 times a night!

Elsewhere on the estate it is a very busy time, with parent birds frantically trying to feed the demanding youngsters. The Swallows are already thinking about a second brood and a Pied Wagtail is back on her nest in the pineapple pit after her first clutch successfully fledged. We have had a regular visit from a juvenile Heron down in the Lost Valley and a few reported sightings of the elusive Kingfisher. There are a few pairs of Spotted Flycatcher, which appear to be collecting food (hopefully for youngsters). Large numbers of Chiff Chaff are around, along with Blackcaps, Willow and Garden Warblers.

It looks like our wild birdseed field is going to be productive again; there are already lots of linnets, yellowhammer and goldfinches making the most of this natural feast! It also seems to be the Barn Owls preferred field for hunting.

Left: Fox at Heligan

It is not only the birds that are busy though. We currently have two fox families on the estate both with half a dozen cubs. A Roe deer doe and Fawn have been enjoying the peace of the outer estate. The Georgian Ride was alive with thousands of tiny young toads moving away from the ponds to the surrounding grassland and undergrowth. It really was a sight to behold!

The Horsemoor meadow is looking lovely and developing into an important habitat. It is the first year we have had Marsh Orchids in this field, which are always a beautiful sight. We haven’t had the invasion of Painted Lady butterflies like last year, although there are still plenty of butterflies including Commas, Peacocks, Red Admirals, Gatekeepers, Meadow Browns and Ringlets to name a few. There are also quite a lot of Hummingbird Hawk moths, especially in the flower garden and surrounding area.

It appears to have been a good year for grass snakes, with lots of sightings from all over the estate. Probably due to the warm, dry weather we’ve been having recently. Horsemoor hide is a good place to spot one, either sun bathing or swimming across the pond. Also at Horsemoor pond there has been large numbers of Common Blue Damselflies and Broad Bodied Chasers busy mating. Not to mention Golden-Ringed and Southern Hawker Dragonflies scouting the Georgian ride and neighbouring fields.

So, all in all it’s a very captivating time at The Lost Gardens.

View the owlets on camera at www.heliganwild.com

Left: Steward's House

A students perspective... Kay de Courcy was on work experience at The Lost Gardens of Heligan last week.

I am lucky enough to be spending a weeks work experience here at The Lost Gardens of Heligan. As a 15 year old I can see how much Heligan has to offer people of all generations. The first thing that amazed me was how the gardens are not all about beauty and pleasure, but they’re here to teach people about animals, plants and wildlife too.

Steward’s Meadow has a lovely, friendly herd of Dexter cattle. These cows produce much of the meat served in the Tearooms. Next I went to the Poultry Orchard which educates individuals about the breeds of poultry kept at Heligan.

As I walked along the gardens’ paths I was continuously finding myself studying some form of wildlife that was rummaging for food. Or found my nose in one of the gorgeous flowers that Heligan keeps. It felt like I was inside a fairytale full of surprises, not knowing what I was to find next.

Exploring further lead me to the Ravine Garden. It is a very unstable path, yet intriguing and strikingly beautiful. I loved the naturalness and character of this small garden.

Left: Summer colour in the Vegetable Garden

Towards the end of my morning walk I took a look at the Productive Gardens of Heligan. The Flower Garden is hidden by a tall redbrick wall but immediately as you enter you are surrounded by colour. This garden grows many different plants from carrots to figs as well as many stunning flowers.

I then went and had a look at the Wildlife Project. There is so much for both children and adults to interact with and discover. I found it very informative and thought provoking.

In the afternoon I investigated Lost Valley and Jungle. I loved the fact that these gardens are much wilder than the Northern Gardens. The Jungle provides a place for children to run about and adults to take in the atmosphere and variety of plant life. Bursting with bamboo and other exotic life the Jungle is an amazingly, attractive garden to explore.

I thoroughly enjoyed my day immersed in the wonderful atmosphere of Heligan. I feel very lucky that I will be spending a week learning about what happens behind the scenes and how Heligan manages to create such an amazing, informative place for people to learn and enjoy.

Left: from left Laura Curry, Mike, Clive, the pineapple! and Nicola in the Melon Yard

Laura has worked at The Lost Gardens for 2 1/2 years as part of the Productive Gardens team.

After completing a degree in ecology, Laura went on to work at a small holding in Cornwall, where she ran a small market garden selling produce at farmers markets.

Laura completed a short work placement in the gardens 3 years ago and six months later was asked to join the team as a permanent member of staff. She now works predominantly in the Vegetable Garden and is in charge of the now famous pineapples, which are grown in Heligan's unique manure heated Pineapple Pit!

Last week the Heligan Pineapples were the subject of many national newspapers featuring in The Daily Mail, The Independent and The Telegraph. The story of the first pineapple cropping of the season even caused a stir in the Australian national press too!

"It is a real honour to work here at Heligan and it is such a wonderful place. I thoroughly enjoy my job especially interacting with visitors about their own gardens and seeing things flourish and progress throughout the seasons in the Vegetable Garden and beyond. The pineapple cropping last week was a great reward for the whole gardening team and it was a real high point of the year so far." Laura Curry  

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