Oh my goodness….where on earth to start?  It’s been awhile since I’ve written a gallivanting post – I’ve been rather ‘couped-up’ for some time!  But we had a couple of commitments in England, and so decided to take the opportunity to have a little potter about – do nothing too arduous, stay in one place, and not rush for once.  Ahem, well….suffice to say the fat book I took along didn’t get a look in for at least the first week of two!

Without boring you to tears, I’ll write a few short posts, and share some images to inspire, just as these visions have inspired me, for that is the reason we go a-gallivanting at all. When we opted for Cornwall (main reason to be explained later), I’d decided against a return visit to the Lost Gardens of Heligan – as a rule I choose not to back-track, as there’s always so much else to explore (and I hate to drive Larry to distraction), but in fact it was he who asked if I’d like to go, as it wasn’t too far from where we were staying. “Well – if we just do the Kitchen Garden”, I tentatively suggested  (as it was the area that most captured my imagination last time, and much as the rest is eye-popping, having done it once…..I wanted to explore further afield and really Heligan is an all-day exercise).  

But to be honest I just can’t get enough of Heligan’s walled Kitchen Garden!  With a vague hint of seaweed in the air, old rhubarb forcers peeking from luxurious growth, cloches of all shape and size; rows and rows of bamboo tunnels supporting peas and runner beans and swathes of companion planting – it’s on a scale that is breathtaking…and beautiful. This vision of snapdragons sent my heart racing and I’m determined to try it on a much smaller scale here at Glenmore.  After all the fun I had with the zinnias last summer (and am experimenting with wallflowers this winter), I reckon it’s at least worth a try – if only I can track some down.  I think they look here as if they’ve marched straight out of a Beatrix Potter illustration…..

As for the triple row of lilies….can you imagine the perfume?  It was heady beyond belief. Rows of cutting flowers have long been grown in traditional Kitchen Gardens and here they’re planted on a fantastical scale. You can see behind where a continuous bamboo tunnel provides structure, strength and height behind regimented rows of low growing veg. Heligan displays it all to perfection, and with a backdrop dotted with palm trees, is a fine example of the micro-climate enjoyed in this pocket of country, provided by the Gulf-Stream.

The Kitchen Garden aside, I’ve long had an obsession with glasshouses and all their associated paraphernalia (as if you hadn’t noticed!).  Once again I was captivated by the workings of all these panels over the pineapple pits and the use of willow panels for shade. It’s most often the working part of the garden that captures my imagination….these areas provide such an array of contrasting materials and textures that are akin to all the elements of interior design….here the combination and juxtaposition of glass, paint, brickwork and willow create a magical atmosphere as well as ventilation, light, shade, warmth and reflection around the roots and foliage of the plants they are protecting (as exciting as any interior….think light-filled warehouse apartment with huge glass windows, raw brick walls, sisal rugs and pots of succulents….

Stonework is a lovely foil for bromeliad foliage and the terracotta pots containing these pineapple plants are buried deep for warmth…. 

An old string line casually propped at the base of a water trough – is the kind of discovery easily made in this garden that reeks of history and authenticity. 

I couldn’t resist going in search of this small corner glasshouse containing an ornamental banana – I remember being ecstatic at discovering it on our visit fourteen years ago, as I was furiously searching for the same plant here for ‘between the wings’.  This looks like a new specimen, just as I also need a replacement – ours seems to have finally fallen flat on its face while we were away :((

Just beyond this working area is the Flower Garden, also walled and containing rows of picking flowers, from cornflowers and cosmos, to eremerus and delphiniums, as well as this delightful row of highly scented sweet peas.

And an irresistible glasshouse of pelargoniums – oh how I long for such a structure – this isn’t the last you’ll be seeing in this collection of posts!  

And so began our little adventure – head already spinning with the delight of it all….but one last thing….if you too should have the opportunity to visit the Lost Gardens of Heligan, please do – it is a magical place, who’s history is sad but not forgotten and Tim Smit’s vision and resurrection with a dedicated team is a feat that has my utmost admiration.