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Best Gardens To Visit Near Falmouth

Best Gardens To Visit Near Falmouth

Our specific microclimate here in the South West lends itself to a spectacular array of gardens with a variety of native and exotic plants showcased all year round. We’ve put together a guide sharing a few of our favourites that are an easy distance from our holiday cottages near Falmouth.

They each vary in style and size, so have a read and see which ones take your fancy. This list is by no means exhaustive, and we hope it inspires an interest in exploring more horticultural delights during all your future holidays to Cornwall!

Trebah Gardens

Reaching up from the glorious Helford River, Trebah Garden is a sub-tropical valley garden with a private beach, performance amphitheatre, beautiful lake, art gallery, gift shop, plant centre and highly recommended cafe!

Trebah is an independent charity, popular with locals and visitors alike with regular events, workshops and performances all making the most of the beautiful setting. You could easily spend a whole day here, but you could also squeeze in a quick visit by walking down to the beach and back in about an hour (but we definitely recommend longer!) Dogs are welcome on leads, and there are also public footpaths connected to the carpark if your furry friends need an off-lead run first!

The Best Winter Walks Near Falmouth; Trebah

Trelissick Garden

Heading up the Carrick Roads towards Truro, you’ll find the National Trust Trelissick Gardens which offers an abundance of open parkland and woodland walks, as well as the formal gardens and historic house.

The Trelissick estate is mentioned in the Assize Rolls of 1280, but it was 1937 before Ida and Ronald Copeland became the owners and planted much of the formal garden you’ll see today. This includes rare shrubs and collections of plants that thrive in the mild Cornish climate.

Trelissick also has a wonderful second hand book shop, cafe, art gallery and gift shop on site which make the visit one that can easily span the whole day! The Main House is also accessible with archives and historical collections, typical of the National Trust.

The Lost Gardens of Heligan

Created by the people behind the Eden Project, Heligan has the most beautiful story: lost to the wild at the outbreak of WW1 as many of the gardeners and workforce of the estate left to fight. In the 1990’s the garden began to be restored, and is now a must-visit destination in Cornwall.

The estate now has an eco-conscious ethos, working with nature rather than against it, and the Victorian Productive Garden supplies over 300 varieties of mostly heritage fruit, vegetables, salad and herbs to the Heligan Restaurant. Keep an eye out for beautiful Giant’s Head, Mud Maid and Grey Lady sculptures, as well as the playful bridge in the Jungle Garden and more formal ponds and plants in the Pleasure Grounds.

You can take dogs to Heligan if they are on a lead, and during the summer there are ‘Sunrise Session’ early opening hours for those early birds who love to catch the morning light…

The Eden Project

Perhaps the most famous of Cornish gardens, the Eden Project is the iconic home of the Mediterranean and Rainforest Biomes – huge heated greenhouses with incredible climate-defying plantlife inside. Eden will be busy if you go in the summer, but they are well set up for it.

As well as the distinctive biomes, Eden also has a large indoor exhibition space, new adventure playground for children, beautiful outdoor gardens and a zip wire experience! They also host events throughout the year, from summer concerts to winter ice skating.

You can take dogs to the gardens and exhibition spaces, but not into the biomes or the indoor cafe, so they are not quite as easy as other gardens if you have your pets with you! It is an especially good garden for children though, with special emphasis on interactivity and play.

Easter Events near Falmouth - Eden Project

Tregothnan Estate

Did you know that over 26 miles of tea bushes are growing on one estate in Cornwall?! Tregothnan’s unique microclimate comes from being seven miles inland and with a deep-sea creek bringing regular fog – and this allows them to grow both tea bushes and Manuka bushes (the first grown outside of New Zealand).

Although the gardens are not open all the time for visiting, you can book specific garden tours which demonstrate how to process tea and include picking your own tea to take home for processing. Choose from River Garden Tour, Tea Tasting, Tea Growing Masterclass, or Beekeeping!

Enys Gardens

Just outside Penryn,the Enys Estate is very close to several of our holiday cottages in Mylor, Flushing and Falmouth. As well as the stunning bluebell field, ponds, orchard and New Zealand garden, Enys is known for hosting seasonal events like the ‘Food Jam’ festival, themed garden trails, an Antiques and Decorative Fair, and Miracle Theatre open air performances during the Summer.

There is a small cafe serving freshly baked cakes, and dogs are allowed in the gardens if they stay on a lead. The gardens are open from April to September on Sundays and Mondays.

As well as the places we’ve included here, you can also explore the official list of Great Gardens of Cornwall – the fourteen ‘most historically and horticulturally important’ in the county. The group hosts events and tours, as well as having their own collection of stories to really get your imagination going…

Do get in touch with any questions about local attractions and places to visit, we’ll be very pleased to help. We also love recommendations from our guests who are keen to share their experiences with other visitors!

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