It is 22 years since the Lost Gardens of Heligan were discovered and, as part of the ongoing restoration, the team there is trying to bridge any gaps in knowledge about the property for an exhibition to be held in 2013 to celebrate 21 years of being open to the public. Heligan House was used as a convalescence hospital in the First World War and the American Army requisitioned it in the Second World War to practise for D-day landings, but it was let between the 1920s and 1960s and not much is known about the lost years.

Already, stories are coming in, of children conceived in the Jungle, strange fruits harvested and the white camellias used for Princess Alexandra’s wedding bouquet, says Lorna Tremayne, who is leading the project. If you have any relevant tales, email memories@heligan.com or write to ‘Lost Memories’, The Lost Gardens of Heligan, Pentewan, St Austell, Cornwall, PL26 6EN.

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* picture by Holly Kirkwood