Poet Laureate finds inspiration in the natural world at Lost Gardens

A SLATE boulder, a jungle pond and an oak wood tunnel lying within the 200-acre estate of The Lost Gardens of Heligan have become ingenious showcases for Poet Laureate Simon Armitage’s latest work.

- BY GUARDIAN REPORTER

Symbolising a hedgehog’s hibernation retreat, the underwater home of aquatic creatures, and a fox’s den, the garden features have been transformed into a series of stunning natural art installations bringing to life three poems from the Poet Laureate’s new book, Dwell, which was released on May 8.

Each installation features carvings and etchings of Simon's poems which use riddle and folklore to celebrate the diversity of the estate's habitats.

"It is the responsibility of everybody to do something in relation to nature,” the Poet Laureate said. “We are at a real tipping point now with extinction, climate change and particularly loss and damage of habitat, which is why I wanted to celebrate Heligan as a place that holds nature intact.