We almost (but not quite) had The Lost Gardens of Heligan to ourselves one very rainy early May day. It was my first visit and on such a day the crowds for the most part were either taking shelter in the cafes or jumping into cars and moving on to sunnier places.
Having thought it would be ‘pants’ the jungle was lovely, we only met 3 other people on the walkways, the misting rain and intimate scale of the planting made it very special.
The larger gardens with their jungly valleys like Glendurgan and Coleton Fishacre are on a grander scale, a different experience altogether.
I lusted after the greenhouses and cold frames, remembering the pineapple frames from the TV programme many years ago and the experiments to get the horse manure heaps steaming at the right temperature for the pineapples to grow. But oh the upkeep on those wooden frames!
The whole place seemed very ‘up-together’ and cared for – well done the gardening team!