England is renowned for its country gardens – some of you might know there’s even a song immortalising them!  Many of the biggest and best of these wonderful locations are open to the public.  However, some are more famous than others.  Everybody knows about the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew, for example.  However, you may not know the Cornish garden which has come second only to Kew in a poll of best gardens to visit.  Rosewood’s living walls manager, Calum, holidayed in Cornwall earlier this month.  While he was there he spent a day at this very special place.  He confirmed that the Lost Gardens of Heligan are a delight to visit for garden-lovers.

What’s so special about these gardens?

After being abandoned before the First World War, the gardens had become totally overgrown. Once hidden, they were forgotten, just like Sleeping Beauty’s castle.  The gardens could have been lost forever.  Luckily, the chance discovery of an old door in the ruins led to them being rediscovered and brought back to life.  It’s a wonderful true story, but it’s the gardens now, in the present, that are most wonderful of all.  Calum’s pictures will give you a flavour of what the place is like, but if you want to know more, visit the Lost Gardens of Heligan Website.   The site details the history, but focuses on the gardens as they are today.  The whole place looks amazing.  If you’re a garden-lover you couldn’t find a better place to visit!

In their own words

We can’t do better than quote their own website, which describes their appeal perfectly.  “Heligan is one of the most mysterious estates in England. Lost to the brambles of time since the outbreak of WW1, this Sleeping Beauty was re-awakened in 1990 to become Europe’s largest garden restoration project. Today Heligan’s 200 acres are a paradise for the explorer, wildlife, plant lover and garden romantic.”