Heligan - Along the Paths
Velvet coated stones along rustic paths rather than paved surfaces enhance exploration of the Ravine and other naturalized areas.
I knew just what Larry was thinking, "Thank goodness she doesn't garden here."
Massive ancient tree ferns crown the New Zealand garden and The Jungle and Lost Valley region.
Remnants of fallen trunks still evidence her sleeping spell.
Rhododendrons and camellias developed into giants while the lady slept . . .
. . . and thick ivy growths blanketed her ground.
A Victorian tap described as "the main stopcock for the Ravine's water system" was found cleverly disguised within roots and rocks. I think the little stone lintel suggests a miniature doorway to a lovely home for elves or gnomes.
Fallen camellia blossoms for the picking, lay at the feet of these tree-sized 'ornamental shrubs'. One of the red rhodos of the garden has grown to 86 feet tall. 'Flora's Green' contains a collection of 150 year old rhododendrons that were begun from seeds sent from Sikkim, Bhutan and Nepal in the Himalayas. Many rare varieties in the gardens have survived from the original finds of Victorian plant expeditions led by famous collectors we gardeners recognize within our plant's Latin names; Armand Davis, David Douglas, George Forrest, the Lobb brothers, Robert Fortune, 'Chinese' Wilson and Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker.
Heligan
Wild : A Year of Nature in the Lost Garden
by Colin Howlett