WELCOME TO THE LOST GARDENS OF HELIGAN NEWSLETTER

The gardens are now a new experience for us after the inspiring presence of Valerie Littlewood and her beautiful bee exhibition ‘Buzz’ that finished last week. Valerie’s artwork celebrates the wonderful lives of UK bees; of which you may be interested to know that there are over 250 species here in the UK which includes an incredible 24 species of bumblebee. We are noticing Heligan’s bees like never before; from the solitary mining bees in the Melon Yard to the Wool Carder Bees in the Sundial Garden and of course not forgetting the beautiful Red-Tailed Bumblebees of Flora’s Green.

If you missed Valerie’s exhibition and her fascinating bee walks then you can quench your thirst for bee knowledge with Valerie’s blog www.pencilandleaf.blogspot.com or get involved with the wonderful work of the Bumblebee Conservation Organisation (www.bumblebeeconservation.org)

The Bumblebee Conservation Organisation’s website can provide you with some really fascinating information and practical advice about how to help our lovely bumbles. You will also be able to download a bumblebee identification sheet which to be honest, we can no longer live without.

The other thing we can’t live without are our bees. Albert Einstein said “If the bee disappeared, man would only have four years' life left."
With our bees already in decline and two species of bumblebee wiped out in the last 70 years there is no better time to get the buzz about our British Bees. Our bumblebees and solitary bees are expert pollinators and even with the decline in honeybees, pollination levels are holding up thanks to these unsung heroes. We hope we may inspire you too to look a little closer at the bees in your garden. . . . and all the other pollinating insects, they really do an amazing job!

Another summer spectacle that we have been enjoying is the aerial acrobatics of the swallows. They have been putting on a fine display over the lawn on Flora’s Green as they feed on the wing, swooping up the insects that can be found over the grass.

Antirrhinums, Gladioli and Brodiaea laxa are putting on their own summer display in the Vegetable Garden whilst the apples are taking full advantage of all the sun and are happily ripening on the Apple Arch.

The gardening teams are busy harvesting the summer crops of early potatoes, chard, broad beans, peas, raspberries, gooseberries and salad crops; which make their way to the Heligan Tearooms daily. Remember, if you would like to keep up with the Productive Gardening Team, their tips, trials and successes then hear all the latest from Annie with the gardeners’ blog – www.lostgardensofheligan.blogspot.com

The Tool Shed is currently roofless, as the Maintenance Team take advantage of the weather and get on with the necessary replacement and restoration of the wooden beams. Each slate has been carefully removed and numbered in this painstaking operation.

In the Flower Garden grapes are fattening in the Vinery whilst lemons ripen on the terraces outside. Mesembryanthemums are a new addition to the path edges adding a splash of vibrant colour. Sweet peas bring their beautiful fragrance to the air, dark poppies are back with their annual grace and the cut flower beds are close to bursting. Summer is in full swing.

Carly and Terry are also in full swing as preparation on the borders in the Scented Garden takes place, ready for the planting and turfing. We can’t wait to see the transformation of this area.
In the Wider Estate our herd of Dexter cows and their young calves are relaxing in the sunshine; only really moving to flick their ears and tails in the hope of deterring the summer flies that congregate around them.
Down in the Jungle the agapanthus are coming into flower, the banana palms are growing fast and the huge leaves of the Gunnera break away from the valley floor and reach over the boardwalk like huge spiky green parasols.

The Lost Valley has become the summer home of Cornish artist and sculptor James Eddy as he undertakes the construction of his first Heligan Sculpture as part of his year-long residency at the gardens.
You can come and see James at work and see the sculpture evolve every Wednesday throughout July and August. See article below for more details. . . .

We hope that you have enjoyed our summery garden update and that you too will come and enjoy the magic that this season has to offer at The Lost Gardens.

Lorna & James
 

The webcams have proven very popular this year with people from around the world watching the development of our owls. The Tawny Owl has now fledged and will spend the next few months with its mother learning the skills it will need to survive. It was very entertaining watching it grow from a small white blob into a very inquisitive owlet, consuming anything its parents brought it; from moths to moles and everything in between!

The other webcam view has obviously been our ever popular Barn Owls, which currently have three very healthy chicks. The parents now don’t stay with the chicks but can be seen delivering plenty of food throughout the night. It isn’t long now until David Ramsden from the Barn Owl Trust comes to ring our owlets. This is very beneficial to both the Barn Owl Trust and Heligan Wild for monitoring purposes.
The Outer Estate is looking brilliant at this time of year, with plenty of growth in all habitats. The Lost Valley is full of foliage, perfect for many species of bird and insect. Spotted Flycatchers, Bullfinches, Goldcrests, Nuthatches, Blackcaps, Woodpeckers (both Green and Great Spotted), various species of Tit, Chiffchaffs and Willow Warblers can be spotted flitting about in the dense foliage. Butterflies can be seen fluttering along the Georgian Ride and the Lost Valley ponds are alive with Dragon/Damselflies. The toadlets have ventured from the ponds in a mass exodus to find a suitable place to hide away and grow, an amazing sight to witness.

Our traditional hay meadow (Horsemoor) has had another very successful year with a record number of Southern Marsh Orchids and together with other flowers such as Meadow Vetchling, Cranesbill, Hawkbit and Red Clover; it provides a beautiful display as well as a fantastic habitat. Soon, though it will be a field of bales as our annual hay cut is due as part of our year-round habitat management.

Slightly different sightings from the norm these past few months include; a male Cuckoo calling from the trees surrounding the Lost Valley, Red Kites soaring above the estate being pestered by gulls and a Grasshopper Warbler singing from the dense Willow copse on the edge of our overflow car park. Again, this year we have found a very good population of Golden haired Longhorn Beetles (Leptura aurulenta). A very impressive beetle that is found on dead wood, with a particular stronghold in the South West of England; elsewhere it is fairly scarce. A photo of a female laying her eggs into dead wood can be seen on our “Wildlife Images” page. http://www.heliganwild.com/gallery

We finally managed to locate the Green Woodpecker’s nest; a day before the young fledged! Fortunately we managed to get both film footage and still photographs of the young at the nest site before they cleared away from the area.

Grass Snakes can be seen all over the estate. Either basking in the sun in quiet spots or swimming through water in search of frogs and newts. I am sure they will have laid their eggs in the Jungle compost again this year, so we should soon be seeing lots of young snakes!
The fields surrounding the estate are being grazed by our herd of Dexter Cattle. The cows and their newly born calves are currently in East lawn and are well worth a visit. Linnets, Yellowhammers and Meadow Pipits can be seen flitting about in the grass, feeding on the various insects that are disturbed by the cattle or attracted to their dung.
Our “Wildlife Photography Competition” is proving very popular with lots of very good entries coming in each month. So, if you do visit, make sure to bring your camera. Remember “wildlife” can be anything from a wild flower to a Green heron, the possibilities are endless. 

Richard
 

Saturday 16th ~ Sunday 24th July 10am – 5pm
Discover a fascinating exhibition, celebrating the lives of Heligan’s Lost Gardeners. Follow the absorbing stories of Heligan staff that left the garden and estate to fight in the First World War, with specialist speaker Peter Lavis The Lost Gardeners Talks will take place on Monday 18th, Wednesday 20th and Friday 22nd July at 12pm in the marquee on Flora's Green. The talk is accompanied by evocative archive images illustrating these remarkable wartime stories.
(Free to garden visitors)
 

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.

This year’s first performance will be Bish Bash Bosh’s, Surfing Tommies on 21st July. Surfing Tommies is an historic tale which follows three members of the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry, a regiment close to the hearts of Heligan’s Lost Gardeners. Set during, and in the aftermath of the First World War, this poignant drama follows their incredible journey from the mines of Cornwall to the fields of Flanders, and back home again.
Along the way we watch the characters fall in and out of love, meet with mazed beauties and befriend the very first surfers in the unlikeliest of surroundings!

For full event listings please see our events page. Tickets can now be purchased from Heligan Reception on 01726 845100 and also Hall for Cornwall Box Office 01872 262466 or click here to buy online.
 

7th & 21st July 4th & 18th August, 1st, 15th & 21st September
Join Estate Warden Graham Bugg on this informative insight into Heligan’s butterfly population with this butterfly identification half hour.
Meet at Horsemoor Hide at 2pm (Free to garden visitors)
 

Discover the secrets of the Lost Valley with ‘The Woodsman’
Wednesday 27th July, 3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th August
Embark on an exciting journey back in time to meet ‘The Woodsman’ who will lead you through Heligan’s ancient broad-leaved woodland revealing the practices and woodland magic of old.
These tours are set to be a real addition to your Heligan experience; unveiling sides of Heligan’s historic landscape that you may not otherwise of enjoyed.
Departing from Hide Park Corner at 11am & 2pm
(Free to Garden Visitors)

You can see a video of the woodsman at The Lost Gardens earlier this year by clicking here.

In celebration of 21 years since the gardens were discovered, The Lost Gardens of Heligan have invited Cornish artist James Eddy to interpret the essence of the gardens and estate.

This project was conceived as a year long-residency for an artist to explore, research and offer their own interpretation of The Lost Gardens of Heligan.

The brief for the project is “to produce sculptures that should reflect the essence and soul of Heligan, working with the themes of ‘Lost and Found’ and ‘Growth & Decay’.”
The charcoal sculpture “Growth & Decay” is the first sculpture selected to be built over the summer period of the residency.

The aim of this sculpture is two-fold. In one sense it is to celebrate the traditional skills of the charcoal burners and their contribution to the working estate of Heligan. In the second sense, the charcoal illustrates a cycle of “Growth & Decay” and the role of fire in nature. Charcoal is formed due to a change to the state of the wood during the “burn”, highlighting the high carbon content.

The form of the sculpture mimics the nature of growth in plants reaching towards the sun, yet in decay also flowing back down into the earth, hence the referral to growth and decay.

With regard to the “Lost and Found” theme, solar energy is harnessed by trees into the world’s energy cycle; then lost through decay back into the soil, ready to be found again by new growth.

Made with charred timber and charcoal produced on site at Heligan. The form, colour and texture of the sculpture also provides a natural complementary contrast to the green of foliage and brown of the leaf litter.

Come and meet James and see the sculpture evolve every Wednesday throughout July and August.

If you would like to be kept up to date with James’ progress in the Lost Valley please click here.
 

You may recognize Sam from the BBC television show Springwatch which was recently aired on BBC2. Sam spent 4 weeks in Scotland with Charlie Hamilton James and his crew, tracking and filming beavers at night.
After finishing his GCSEs at secondary school, Sam joined the Heligan team as a gardener in the Pleasure Grounds. Nine years later he has worked in almost every department throughout the estate and now works as part of our Wildlife Team.

Sam has a wide variety of duties which include; building bird boxes and other wildlife habitats, maintaining all of our cameras which monitor wildlife throughout the estate and are broadcast to heliganwild.com. Sam also films and produces short films for Heligan websites and Horsemoor Hide and also keeping heliganwild.com up to date.

“I have worked in nearly every department at the Lost Gardens and have now found my perfect position in the wildlife department. I really love how varied my job is, no two days are ever the same. Working in 200 acres of beautiful gardens with such a wide variety of different species is also a bonus.”
 

We hope you have enjoyed our newsletter.

If you have any comments please get in touch via our website contact page.