Seed Journey Latest Updates

Garden News . . .

Gathering the Everlasting

June 11, 2025
This week, among the gentle shuffle of petals and shears, Heligan gardener Yoko was spotted bending thoughtfully over rows of strawflowers, delicately snipping stems in the soft June light. These...

Gathering the Everlasting

June 11, 2025
This week, among the gentle shuffle of petals and shears, Heligan gardener Yoko was spotted bending thoughtfully over rows of strawflowers, delicately snipping stems in the soft June light. These...
The Quiet Charm of Nepeta ‘Six Hills Giant’

June 3, 2025
Among Heligan's sun-warmed paths and borders, where the beauty of heritage planting meets the soft hum of pollinators, a gentle bloom has taken centre stage: Nepeta ‘Six Hills Giant’. With...

The Quiet Charm of Nepeta ‘Six Hills Giant’

June 3, 2025
Among Heligan's sun-warmed paths and borders, where the beauty of heritage planting meets the soft hum of pollinators, a gentle bloom has taken centre stage: Nepeta ‘Six Hills Giant’. With...
Look Up: Queen’s Tears Blooming in the Jungle

June 3, 2025
Spotted by our Jungle team, Henry, Tony and Jungle Pete . . . If you find yourself walking through the Jungle this week, take a moment to look up into...

Look Up: Queen’s Tears Blooming in the Jungle

June 3, 2025
Spotted by our Jungle team, Henry, Tony and Jungle Pete . . . If you find yourself walking through the Jungle this week, take a moment to look up into...

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Welcome to our Seed Journey

Rooted in the soil of The Lost Gardens of Heligan, Seed Journey is a year-round exploration of heritage gardening brought to life through the experience of our gardeners and the timeless rhythm of the seasons. Designed for curious beginners and seasoned growers alike, this evolving collection of stories, tips, and traditions follows the path of a seed from sowing and tending, to harvesting and creative use. Along the way, it branches into every part of the gardeners life: the tools we use, the meals we share, the scents that linger, and the quiet moments that connect us to nature. At the heart of this journey lies a deeper thread: the story of Heligans lost gardeners. When war broke out in 1914, many of those who once tended these very paths left and never returned. For decades, the gardens fell silent. Today, their memory is honoured by the living soil they once worked, and the new hands that carry their legacy forward. Seed Journey is part of that story - a tribute to what was lost, and a celebration of what continues to grow. You'll find inspiration drawn directly from Heligans historic gardens, alongside modern insights from our team offered in a way that's practical, enriching, and deeply rooted in real-life experience. Sign up to our free seasonal email to receive expert gardening tips, behind-the-scenes stories, and lifestyle inspiration direct from our gardens as the year unfolds.

Wellness & Lifestyle

To garden is to live seasonally, to return to presence through care, patience, and daily attention.

Here you'll find quiet reflections, sensory rituals, and simple ways to bring the gardens calm into your home and life.

Click here to find rest and rhythm and lifestyle inspiration through your garden

Flowers & Crafting

Some things we grow for colour, others for scent and some for the joy of preserving fleeting beauty.

At Heligan, flowers are not just grown, but gathered, dried, and woven into the rhythms of home and celebration.

Click here to learn how we carry beauty beyond the bloom

Tools & Techniques

From hand-forged blades to long-trusted methods passed between gardeners, the tools we use shape not just our soil but our understanding.

Here, you'll find the implements that bring the Heligan gardens to life and the quiet knowledge behind their use, shared by those who use them daily.

Click here to discover hands-on knowledge that shapes every season

From Garden to Plate

The journey doesn't end at the seed bed. What begins with planting often finds its way into the kitchen, into the jar, onto the plate.

Explore recipes, harvest rituals, and preserving techniques inspired by Heligan's productive gardens - carrying the gardens story into every meal.

Click here for a taste of the gardens

Explore Our Curated Seed Collections

Begin your growing journey with seeds hand-picked by the gardeners of Heligan - each one rooted in heritage and chosen for the story it carries. Browse the categories below to explore varieties that invite you to plant, grow and become part of something lasting.

Click on titles to expand

Seed Collection Categories:

Productive Garden Range

Click on a variety to find out more.

Onion Ailsa Craig

Borecole Nero di Toscana

Melon Blenheim Orange

Leaf Beat

Rainbow Chard

Beet Chioggia

Barbietola

Carrot Early Nantes

Broad Bean Crimson Flowered

DFB Tendergreen Onion

Spring Onion

Parsnip Tender and True

RNB Scarlet Emporer

Pea Aldreman

Squash Crown Prince

Courgette One Ball F1

Courgette chiaro tondo di nizza

Tomato Gardeners Delight

Tomato Black Opal

Tomato Golden Sunrise

Cucumber Carmen F1

Beauty Bell F1

Sweet Pepper

Hungarian Black Chilli Pepper

Lemon Drop Chilli

Padron Pepper

Nasturtium Empress Of India

Mixed Seed Packs

Click on a variety to find out more.

Mixed Seed Pack of Radish

Hailstone

Scarlet Globe

Sparkler

Malaga Violet

Zlata Yellow

Mixed Seed pack of Lettuce Leaves

Red salad bowl

Green salad bowl

Lollo rossa

Winter density

Little Gem

Lobjois

Great lakesAll year round

Marvel of four seasons

Webbs wonderful

Mixed Seed Pack Summer Salad

Mibuna

Mustard red giant

Pak Choi Shanghai

KmoatsumaMizuna

Chinese cabbage Wonk Bok

Flower Garden & Cut Flower Favourites

Click on a variety to find out more.

Scabious Atropurpurea

Cornflower Double Dark blue

Cosmos Sensation mixed

Ammi Majus

Painted Sage nix pink white & purple

Amaranthus Caudatus (Love- lies- bleeding)

Zinnia Elegans - Dahlia Flowered Seeds

Calendula Art Shade

Lemon Bergamot -

Antirrihnum Night and Day

Sweet William Messenger Mixed

Coreopsis tinctoria

Yoko's Dried Flower Favourites

Click on a variety to find out more.

Ammobium Alatum

Helichrysum Monstorum Mixed

Scabiousa Stellata

Nigella Miss Jekyll

Luneria Annua (Honesty)

Henry's Jungle Choice

Click on a variety to find out more.

Ricinus Gibsonii

Nicotiana White Trumpets

Canary Creeper Tropaeolum peregrinum

Thunbergia Alata Product

SEAHOLLY (Eryngium maritimum)

How to Read a Seed Packet - The Heligan Way

A seed packet may seem simple-just a small envelope with a few instructions-but at Heligan, we believe it's the start of a journey.

Our gardeners have spent years growing these varieties, observing their habits, and refining the knowledge they pass on. That knowledge begins right here.

The front of the packet introduces the variety: its name, often a story in itself, and a glimpse into its character. You'll also find a quick note on what makes it special-flavour, resilience, beauty, or historical value.

Turn it over and you'll see the essentials: when to sow, how deep, how far apart, and how long until harvest. These instructions are drawn from our experience growing in Cornish soil and climate, but they're adaptable-what matters most is learning to observe your own space.

Each packet is linked to our Seed Journey Hub. By scanning the QR code, you'll get deeper tips, stories, and seasonal guidance from the Heligan team, plus updates on related articles and growing videos.

Our aim is for you to feel confident and curious-not overwhelmed. The packet gives you the what and when. The rest, with a little care and patience, you'll learn as you go. That's part of the joy.

Because behind each packet is not just a plant. It's a gardener's voice, a season's rhythm, and a story waiting to grow in your hands.

Meet the Gardeners: Why These Seeds Were Chosen for You

Every seed in our Gardener's Choice range has a story-and behind each story is a gardener. At Heligan, the Productive Garden is more than a place of planting and harvesting. It's a living memory, carefully tended by hands that understand the rhythms of the land and the legacy of the past.

Read on . . .

What Is Heritage Gardening? A Gentle Return to the Old Ways

At the heart of Heligan's revived garden lies a philosophy of stewardship, patience, and tradition.

Heritage gardening isn't just a way to grow vegetables-it's a return to methods passed down through generations, rooted in respect for the land, the seasons, and the stories behind every plant.

Read on . . .

From Plot to Potting Shed: Creating a Simple Growing Space at Home

You don't need acres or a grand greenhouse to begin heritage gardening. At Heligan, we believe the most important space is the one you care for. Whether that's a few raised beds, pots on a balcony, or a shared allotment, the values of heritage gardening-patience, observation, and tradition-begin anywhere.

Read on . . .

The Lost Arts of Seed Saving and Home Storage

Seed saving is both a practical skill and a time-honoured tradition in heritage gardening. Long before seed catalogues and online orders, gardeners selected and saved their own seeds-passing down plant lines through generations, adapting varieties to local conditions, and preserving flavours, colours, and resilience that modern varieties often overlook.

Read on . . .