The Lost Gardens of Heligan

One of the all-time great British adventures.

The mild climate of coastal Cornwall, combined with a chequered history of keen plantsmanship, neglect, and restoration, has created a tropical-themed garden with a wild edge that would be impossible to create by brute force. Perhaps the biggest lesson we can learn from Heligan is how to design with the local weather in mind. We visited during a period of fog and drizzle - weather which probably affects the area 100 days a year - but the jungle and grotto gardens did not suffer for it one bit.

Working with what you already have is often the hardest thing in the world, but this spectacular garden does it perfectly.