The Garden

This beautiful, fragile, terraced garden was designed in 1878 for Sir John St Aubyn, later the 1st Lord St Levan, and would have delighted his family of eleven people. Aloes and agave rear out of the bedrock, tulbaghias wave their delicate heads, and binding threads of rosemary, lavender and lampranthus tumble down the terraces. Come and experience life beyond the castle walls...

Stroll among the steep, sloping terraces and you’ll spot all manner of unlikely plants, which thrive in this curiously mild microclimate. Despite the gales and salty winds that you’d expect here, frosts are a rarity and the rock acts as a gigantic radiator – absorbing the heat by day and releasing it at night.

Book tickets by midnight the day before your visit to save with the Advance Booking Rate.

Enjoy complimentary garden admission with weekday Afternoon Tea

Pair your visit with Afternoon Tea in Harbour Loft to enjoy complimentary garden access.

Until 4 September, all weekday Afternoon Tea bookings include complimentary admission to the subtropical garden. Explore the garden's winding paths, colourful terraces and exotic planting, then relax over a seasonal Afternoon Tea overlooking the harbour.

Complimentary garden admission is valid at any time on the day of your booking. Last admission to the garden is 16:00.

find out more

The St Aubyn family will open the garden on Sunday 21 June in support of the National Garden Scheme (NGS), while the island is open to visitors. All visitors, including National Trust members, will require a ticket for this special event, with proceeds from ticket sales donated to the charity.

The NGS has donated more than £77.8 million to charitable causes including Marie Curie, Macmillan Cancer Support, Hospice UK and The Queen’s Nursing Institute, including an annual donation of over £3.8 million in 2025 alone.

Adult: £16 (£14 with the Advance Booking Rate)
Child 5-15: £8 (£7 with the Advance Booking Rate)
Under 5: free

Book tickets by midnight the day before your visit to save with the Advance Booking Rate.

Preserving their delicate beauty

The private garden on St Michael’s Mount was built in 1887 for a family of 11. Last year just shy of 140,000 visitors were welcomed into them. The castle is robust, the garden are fragile and therefore have restricted opening times: Monday-Friday 10:00 - 15:45 from 1 May - 4 September 2026. However, the garden has been designed to be seen from above as well as from within and the incredible view from the castle battlements shows off the rich tapestry of the terraces below.

Highlights in the garden

Among the many highlights are:

• The Victorian ‘Seagull Seat’, the perfect place to absorb the bay views from the top of the west terraces.
• Exotic succulents nestled among the granite bedrock in the east terraces and west terraces.
• A trip through time in the walled garden, designed by two daughters of the fourth baronet in 1780.

Don't forget to visit to the Mount Shop to browse the collection of succulents found in the courtyard to take home a living memento from the island.

How to plan your visit

Garden tickets include access to the harbour, gallery and village, the lawns, shops and café. Alternatively, you can purchase a combi ticket, which also gives you access to the castle.

Adult: £16 (£14 with the Advance Booking Rate)
Child (5-15): £8 (£7 with the Advance Booking Rate)
Under 5: free

Book tickets by midnight the day before your visit to save with the Advance Booking Rate. The garden is open Monday-Friday and closed at the weekends with the exception of June 21 for the National Garden Scheme charity day. Assistance dogs only in the garden.

Hidden corners of the garden

The terraces are home to a world of hidden corners and tucked-away treasures, where winding paths lead you through pockets of calm and beauty.

Here, the garden’s best-kept secrets are waiting to be found, offering moments of stillness and wonder away from the main paths, where sunlight and shadows create a sense of timeless escape.

A year in the garden

From spring bulbs and vibrant summer borders to autumn colour and the dormant winter months, the garden at St Michael's Mount changes with the seasons. The calendar below offers a month-by-month guide to what you can expect to see throughout the year, with commentary from Head Gardener Darren Little.

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

June

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January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

January Closed to Public

Caring for the island’s woodland heritage

"In January, our gardening team carries out a detailed tree survey, which is an essential step in caring for the many trees that thrive in the island’s demanding and exposed environment. The survey not only helps us understand the varied needs of each tree, but also ensures we secure the necessary permissions for any work, as the island sits within a conservation area. Come January, our chainsaw-qualified gardeners carefully undertake the approved work, ensuring the health, safety, and longevity of these remarkable trees. Dry stone walls will be repaired, along with the stony steps, while various horticultural jobs will be undertaken in the narrow borders that cannot be done when visitors are exploring."

Highlight of the Month

The low planting in the garden ensures the plants are sheltered from much of the cold winter weather.

February Closed to Public

Living granite walls

"Winter is a vital time for maintaining the garden’s cobbles, steps, and walls. Unlike modern construction, our walls are built with soil rather than cement, a traditional method that requires regular upkeep but offers unique rewards. This technique allows us to create planting pockets within the stonework, where new succulents can be introduced. These plants flourish here, as the granite walls act like natural radiators absorbing warmth during the day and releasing it at night. By working with these conditions, we are able to push horticultural boundaries and grow species that many gardeners would find challenging in their own plots."

Highlight of the Month

Replanting, weeding, cobbling, wall building and scarifying seeding all take place on the lead-up to spring.

March Closed to Public

Pruning with the changing season

"February and March are the key months for pruning shrubs in the gardens, though our unique microclimate often means beginning as early as January. Even our pelargoniums remain outdoors through winter, pruned back to new growth in late winter or early spring, sometimes while still in flower. This not only refreshes the plants but also helps them recover from wind burn, a common challenge in our exposed setting. Our approach is shaped by the island’s conditions, reminding us that successful gardening often requires adapting beyond the pages of horticultural handbooks."

Highlight of the Month

The gardeners will abseil in March to do a spot of 'extreme weeding' on the granite cliffs to clear the weeds from the rocks.

April Closed to Public

Spring planting and propagation

"Spring marks a busy season of planting in the gardens, much of it supported by propagation carried out here on the island. Each year, around 800 cuttings are taken to ensure we have a rich collection ready to be replanted once the weather improves. After the challenges of wet winters, this replenishment is essential. Many plants, such as tulbaghia, canna, and persicaria, are also divided to encourage healthy growth and to spread their presence more widely throughout the gardens, adding both resilience and beauty to our displays."

Highlight of the Month

Soft lilacs, pastel pinks, pale yellows and whites merge in a delicate wash of colour.

May Open to Visitors

Embracing 'No Mow May'

"Around five acres of grassland at the base of the island are dedicated to wildflowers, supported by initiatives such as 'No Mow May'. Yet, our mild Cornish winters and early springs often bring blooms as early as April; sometimes earlier. This natural shift has encouraged us to adapt the scheme, beginning our ‘no mow’ period ahead of schedule to better align with the rhythms of the island. By mid-May, many of these areas have already finished flowering and scattered their seeds, ensuring a vibrant return the following year. Aloes and agave rise from the bedrock, while tulbaghias move gently in the spring air and the aeoniums and pelargoniums come into bloom."

Highlight of the Month

As the sun starts to shine, the aeoniums and pelargoniums begin to flourish.

June Open to Visitors

Preparing the ground for renewal

"Several areas of the island set aside for 'No Mow May' are now carefully managed using brush cutters, as the natural granite outcrops make traditional mowing impossible. Once the vegetation has been cut, all clippings are meticulously raked and removed. This not only tidies the landscape but also creates the best conditions for fresh grass and wildflowers to emerge, supporting a healthy and diverse habitat. June also welcomes the salvias, geums and osteospermums that cascade down the terraces. On the East Terraces, soft lilacs, pastel pinks, pale yellows and whites merge in a delicate wash of colour. In contrast, the West Terraces are defined by deep oranges, vivid reds and bright yellows."

Highlight of the Month

Salvias, geums and osteospermums cascade down the terraces in June.

July Open to Visitors

Maintaining balance and beauty

"Day-to-day maintenance is a constant in the gardens, from weeding the flowerbeds to carefully deadheading the roses. Across the island, the grass is cut weekly to maintain a consistent balance and neat appearance. On the main lawns, a zero-turn ride-on mower equipped with a mulching kit ensures both precision and sustainability, helping to return nutrients to the soil while keeping the lawns looking their best."

Highlight of the Month

The West Terraces are defined by deep oranges, vivid reds and bright yellows, forming a bold and sunlit display.

August Open to Visitors

The holidays are here

"With the season in full swing, our gardening team is hard at work across the island’s gardens and grounds. Most tasks are carried out in the mornings, before visitors arrive. As the day goes on, the team moves into quieter, more secluded areas to continue their work. With narrow paths and limited space, tools and equipment must be handled with great care, and at times their placement may briefly restrict access as the gardeners tend to the landscape."

Highlight of the Month

Colours range from deep reds and sunny yellows to bright blues and vibrant greens, as the garden is in full summer bloom.

September Closed to Public

A fresh start for the lawns

"As the gardens close for the season, our work continues behind the scenes. September sees us tackling one of our biggest annual jobs: restoring over 600m² of lawn, worn down by more than 150,000 summer visitors. The ground is prepared, turf is carried in and laid by hand, then topped with three tonnes of fine soil. A temporary, timed irrigation system waters the lawns overnight, helping them settle and thrive. It’s a labour-intensive task, but one that ensures the gardens remain vibrant. By spring, the lawns will be lush once again ready for another season of exploration."

Highlight of the Month

The last day of the gardens is 4 September, as the grass on the pathways needs to be replaced with fresh turf.

October Closed to Public

Golden leaves are falling

"The inevitable wear and tear from so many pairs of feet on the paths and terraces, necessitates a closed period between September and April for the gardening team’s skilled attention. Each October, our gardening team undertakes a five-day abseiling refresher, which is an essential part of maintaining the gardens clinging to the steep slopes of the island. This intensive training covers everything from rope system setup and abseiling techniques to aerial rescues and rope-to-rope transfers. It’s not just about skill, but safety too, with protocols on equipment checks, knot tying, and communication. This behind-the-scenes training ensures we can care for every corner of the garden, no matter how hard it is to reach."

Highlight of the Month

The autumnal colours take over in the garden, as the deep reds of the aeoniums dominate the terraces.

November Closed to Public

Winter is coming

"Each November, as the last leaves fall, our annual tree inspections begin. With the canopy bare, we gain a clear view of each tree’s structure, which is ideal for checking branch formations, trunk stability, and spotting any hidden weaknesses. Autumn also reveals tell-tale signs of fungal infections, with fruiting bodies indicating possible decay beneath the surface. This seasonal window allows us to carefully assess every tree on the island and plan essential winter work, ensuring they remain healthy and safe."

Highlight of the Month

As the garden enters a dormant winter stage, the focus turns to tree care.

December Closed to Public

The garden hibernates for winter

"With the gardens in their winter dormancy, we pause most horticultural tasks and allow the grounds a month of rest. Fallen leaves act as a natural blanket, shielding the hidden buds preparing to emerge beneath the soil reminding us that unnecessary hoeing can cause unseen harm. Instead, our focus shifts to gently working through the terraces up to the castle summit, keeping pathways clear and the surroundings neat in readiness for the festive season and for the family to enjoy."

What happened after Storm Goretti?

During Storm Goretti, the island experienced strong westerly winds, but the terraced gardens were left untouched. Sheltered on the south-east side of the island and protected by the granite cliffs, the terraces avoided the worst of the gusts that affected the trees in the woodland on the more exposed northern side.

Careful planting also played a key role. Low-growing, wind-resilient plants are deliberately chosen for these conditions, and as a result not a single succulent was lost. While storm damage is visible in the woodland areas along the castle path, the subtropical terraced garden remains as vibrant and resilient as ever.