Cornish gardens paired with Brazil, Belgium and beyond

Ever stood under a canopy of bluebells in a Cornish wood and wondered what spring looks like on the other side of the planet? A new series from the Great Gardens of Cornwall is built around exactly that question.

The series, called Spring Worldwide, pairs Cornwall’s gardens with destinations around the globe to explore how the same season plays out across different landscapes, climates and cultures. It is already live, and it sets out to show how gardens thousands of miles apart can share a common language of seasonal change while expressing it in completely different ways.

So far the pairings span four countries. Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens has been matched with the Inhotim Institute in Brazil. Antony Woodland Garden sits alongside Provinciaal Domein Het Leen in Belgium. Bonython Estate Gardens is paired with Arderne Gardens in South Africa. And the Minack Theatre features next to Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania.

The idea is to highlight both contrast and connection, from subtropical sculpture landscapes and historic woodland gardens through to dramatic coastal planting and sprawling botanical estates. Same season, wildly different feel, yet somehow familiar everywhere.

Charles Williams, owner of Caerhays Castle and Gardens, said Cornwall is home to an extraordinary range of gardens shaped by a unique combination of climate, landscape and planting diversity. “Spring Worldwide highlights not only the strength of our gardens here but also the way gardens across the world inspire one another through shared ideas, seasonal change and horticultural excellence,” he said.

Charles added that the series is “all about encouraging audiences to experience the season more deeply – from bluebells beneath Cornish woodland canopies to blossom and flowering trees in gardens across the world.” He said it shows how Cornwall’s gardens sit within a wider international network connected through shared seasonal experiences.

More international pairings are being developed and will be published weekly on the Great Gardens website.

📷Bonython - 3 walled garden

Sunflowers and the next generation

While Spring Worldwide looks outward, the network is also turning its attention to what comes next.

Running alongside it is Little Gardeners, Big Sunflowers, a community project launched in partnership with the Crofty Education Trust. It is designed to get young people across Cornwall engaging with gardening and nature in a hands-on way.

Eighteen primary schools across the county are taking part, including Ilogan, Porthleven and Roskear. Year 4 and Year 5 pupils will grow sunflowers over a seven-week period, with their progress documented through photographs and reflections. The children will also get resources, seed giveaways and chances to connect directly with participating gardens.

James Stephens, Marketing Manager at The Lost Gardens of Heligan, said Spring Worldwide is helping to show that Cornwall’s gardens are part of something much bigger, a global community of remarkable places sharing knowledge, inspiration and seasonal stories.

“At the same time, Little Gardeners, Big Sunflowers is just as important,” James said. “We hope it gives children a wonderful way to engage with gardening and helps them understand the role nature plays in our lives and how enriching it can be.”

James said the two projects form a connected story. “If we want horticulture to thrive in the future, we need to inspire that connection early,” he said. He described it as one that looks outward to Cornwall’s place in a global network of world-class gardens, and inward to the communities that will shape the future.

Spring Worldwide continues throughout the season, with the Great Gardens of Cornwall inviting people to follow the journey and visit the gardens taking part. You can explore more on the Great Gardens of Cornwall website.

📷Arderne Gardens

📷Caerhays Castle & Gardens - Charles Williams, Owner

📷The Yayoi Kusama Gallery at Inhotim Institute

📷View from the Pagoda. Tremenheere Sculpture Garden. -Karl Davies

📷Lost Gardens of Heligan - Jungle Exploration