The Lost Gardens of Heligan

Preface

The English countryside is contradictory to the urban neighborhoods a place of marvel and wonder. It is surprising how few inhabitants of the United Kingdom or Europe know the treasure chamber of the Anglo-Saxon isles.

Photo Credit: Youtube

Heligan has the title of ‘Estate’ a posh English word for a manor although it is so much more than a nice villa and a little garden. Heligan is a domain owned by the Tremayne family since the fourth century, a name that is meaningful in England.

History

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By the end of the nineteenth century, the estate was at his peak of splendor and magnificence. Only a few years later, it looked like the ivy and other wild plants had conquered the grounds. Heligan found itself hidden under a thick green blanket. After more than ten years of neglect, the hurricane on 1990 happened and the gardens of Heligan as good as erased from human memory.

Luckily life has his own bizarre turns and the ugly symptoms of the neglect were the main reason for a revaluation of the property. It all started with the discovery of a small hidden room on the estate and the discovery of an obscure threatening sign. The owner decided to reestablish the splendor of the gardens according to the original plans.

The sign with the text:’ don’t come here to sleep or slumber’ dated August 14 and is even now still so mysterious but yet inviting to discover a world of magic and mystery.

Since more than thirty years, the restoration is going on with a gigantic enthusiasm, in such a matter that the endeavor was received various international prizes. About three hundred acres are back in their original state, but there is still a lot of work ahead.

The goal is to show the garden architecture of the past to the public. It is imperative that the natural biotopes and evolution is not disturbed, that same evolution is a part of the project.

Geographic Location

Photo Credit: travelwithpenelopeandparker.com

The Lost Garden of Heligan is located in Mevagissey in Cornwall and is probably the most beautiful botanic garden in the United Kingdom.

The garden architecture is typically the nineteenth century, the so-called ‘Gardenesque Style’. The Estate consists of different styles with their own character and vegetation.

The gardens were created by the ancestors of the Tremayne family over a period of the eighteenth to the twentieth century. The decline came with the First World War, the restoration happened after 1990.
Things to See

De garden have a gigantic collection of rare and very old plants, a few lakes, botanic and vegetable gardens, an Italian garden and a wild area named ‘The Jungle’. Unique for Europe is the subtropical garden with pineapple plants. Enchanting is the mud figures like: ‘The Mud Maid’ and ‘The Giant’s Head’.

The Pleasure Grounds

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This part is a kind of an enchanting world with rare trees from the other side of the world, like Maori threes from New Zealand, to hide an Italian garden and even a ravine that you would expect in the Alps.
Many of the trees and plants are over 150 years old and protected. The color pallet that the visitors receive is simply amazing.

There is also a historical farm and a nature reservation. The biotopes are very diverse and the fauna and flora can develop here like centuries ago, free and safe.

Consideration

Photo credit: www.bestofengland.com/the-lost-gardens-of-heligan/

This place is really a must-see for nature lovers, not only can you breathe in the typical country atmosphere that can only be found in England, it is an experience like in a fairy-tale. From a botanical point of view is this place very exceptional due to the diversity of flowers, plants, and monuments. A piece of magic that you have to visit when you are in the United Kingdom.

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