Horticultural history

Gardeners need not despair – some of Cornwall’s most prestigious growers are looking for buyers online to create a lockdown oasis

If you have found yourself, like me, hiding bags of compost and crushing your multipacks of bedding plants under your shopping essentials muttering embarrassedly about growing your own food while already planning to plant out your pansies – there is another way.

Cornwall is home to many garden centres and nurseries – all sadly forced to let their hard work go to waste as they aren’t set up to handle the very specialised world of selling plants online.

But the county’s heritage collections – which attract buyers from all over the world – are seeing a rise in sales closer to home as those of us who rely on a fresh supply of plants each year scavenge for show-stopping plants. The collections are being promoted by the charity Plant Heritage which represents more than 400 National Plant Collection Holders including The Lost Gardens of Heligan and Caerhays Castle.

National Plant Collections are living plant libraries, showcasing the amazing diversity of our nation’s cultivated plants. They are created, and curated, by individuals or organizations who are passionate about protecting the diversity of the nation’s rich flora. New collections are recognized every year, with 28 new collections accredited in 2019.

The national charity works to ensure that cultivated plants are cared for and nurtured, so that future generations can enjoy rare plants through its National Plant Collection Scheme, Plant Guardians alongside members and enthusiasts.