Popular Cornish garden put on the market
28 September 2010
One of Cornwall's best-loved gardens, the Trevarno Estate near Helston, has been put up for sale due to the retirement of one of its owners.
Staff have been told there is no guarantee the RHS Recommended Garden will stay open to the public, although current owners Nigel Helsby and Mike Sagin are hopeful they can find a buyer who will continue their legacy. Since they bought the estate in 1994 they have carried out an extensive programme of restoration and improvements, and visitor numbers have grown to more than 80,000 a year.
The gardens at Trevarno lie at the heart of the 290-hectare (700-acre) estate and feature one of Cornwall's most diverse plant collections. They feature a pinetum planted in the 19th century with more than 120 species of conifer, woodland bluebell walks, a Victorian boating lake and a recently-restored walled kitchen garden. Trevarno is also home to a show garden of over 2,500 varieties of daffodil owned by local breeder Ron Scamp, and the National Museum of Gardening, although the collection of garden tools and memorabilia – one of the largest in the country - is not currently included in the sale.
Trevarno continues to open daily as usual until the sale is agreed.