Since the 2014 edition of Scotland For Gardeners, some gardens have closed, changed hands and new gardens & nurseries have opened.

New Nurseries and Gardens

Cowden Japanese Garden 

This is the most important new addition to Scotland's Garden scene.  From the Garden's website:

'At the turn of the 20th Century, the Scottish adventurer Ella Christie returned home from a trip to the Orient inspired to build a Japanese Garden. 

As might be expected from the first woman to meet the Dalai Lama, Christie’s approach to developing the garden was trailblazing.  She chose a female designer – the gifted Taki Handa – to create the seven acre site in the grounds of Cowden Castle.  In doing so, The Japanese Garden at Cowden became the first and only garden of its size and scale to be designed by a woman.  It remains a unique and utterly authentic bridge between Scottish and Japanese culture.

Sadly vandalised in the 1960’s, the garden is being brought back to life by a team of experts including the renowned Japanese architect and garden designer Professor Masao Fukuhara.  The Professor is best known for winning the Gold Medal at Chelsea Flower Show as well as the restoration of The Japanese Gardens at Kew, London and Tatton Park, Cheshire.

Michael Innes, admired for his landscape designs at Attadale Gardens and Dumfriess House, has recently designed several new borders for the eastern end of the garden. 

Kate White, our head gardener, since October 2016 continues to battle the elements to maintain the seven acre site prophetically named: The Place of Pleasure and Delight’ by Ella Christie.

Cowden was inherited by my father, Bobby Stewart and is now managed by a charitable trust. As chairwoman of the trust I am delighted to announce that we have passed the half way mark of the restoration programme.  The decision to open the garden before completion was taken due to the overwhelming support and interest in the project. '

"The most important Japanese Garden in the Western World"

PROFESSOR JIJI SUZUKI

18th Hereditary Head of the Soami School of Imperial Design, Japan, 1925

Cowden Website

Crawick Multiverse

This Charles Jencks land art project, financed in a a partnership with the Duke of Buccleuch, not far from Jencks home base at Portrack, covers 55 acres on the site of a former open cast coalmine near Sanquhar. 160,000 tonnes of earth have been shaped into new landforms and a series of paths link to the southern Upland Way and to the villages of Kelloholm and Kirkconnel. Features include two characteristic breast-like Jencks mounds with standing stones on them and perhaps best of all, a high up main viewpoint from which the central axis of standing stones and small lakes can be appreciated. There are plans for other artists to create work for the project.

The interpretation boards stress the features connections to Jenck's perennial themes of the cosmos and astro-phyics. But I cant help feeling that this stuff misses the point or at least the effect of what has been created here. The connection between 'the heavens' and this site is much more human, resembling a newly minted set for a Hollywood druid film with a combination of influences from the Nasca lines of Peru,  to the ruins of Stonehenge and Scotland's top ancient sites Callanish, neolithic Orkney, Kilmartin Glen and the ruins of Jarlshof on Shetland. Many of these ancient sites were laid out to line up with the astronmical timetable: solstice for example. The axis at Crawick lies is due south, a man-made rather than celestial choice. The site is as yet rather bare, barren and the of the stones seem too close together and unreal: one set look like badly alighted teeth. The designers of the ancient sites listed above were evidently architects with more finesse.

On a mild October day in hazy sunlight this was a great way to spend an afternoon in a landscape with interesing topography and vistas opening up from every vantage point. It will be interesting to compare this project with the even larger one at Kelty in Fife, another open cast mine reclamation project which Jencks is working on. At the carpark take the right hand path which takes you up the high vantage point at the far end, so that you cover the whole site anticlockwise. Be aware that if you take the main stone-lined avenue back, you'll end up at a dead end and have to backtrack. Well worth a visit, there is clearly plenty more work to do at the site and in time and as it matures it will improve. Future archeologists will be confused though…!

Opening Times

March to June 10am to 4pm
July and August 10am to 6pm
September and October 10am to 4pm
November to February Pedestrian Access Only

Pricing

Adult £5.00
Adult Concession (60+) £4.00
Child (5-16) £2.00
Under 5s Free
Family (2 Adults+3 Children) £12.50

Tickets are available to purchase on site at Crawick, in addition tickets are also available from A’ The Airts in Sanquhar and the Kirkconnel Heritage Society

Scottish Bamboo

They say:

Scottish bamboo is a small family run mail order plant nursery located in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.

Run by Kerri and her husband Chris, their love of bamboo plants started out as a hobby in 2001 when they purchased a house in the country with a very large garden and some spare land alongside. When Chris started landscaping the garden he was determined to create an exotic feel and invested in some bamboo plants for their lush tropical look and ability to withstand the extremely harsh frosts experienced in this area of the UK. Watching them grow was fascinating and soon the collection in our own garden grew from 2 varieites to well over 30 different varieties, still adding to them yet!

The hobby then turned into a family business when Scottish Bamboo was formed in 2007 when a gap in the market was identified to provide different varieties of hardy bamboo by mail order all over the UK (aside from the handful of varieties usually available in mainstream garden centres and nurseries). Scottish Bamboo now serve bamboo lovers nationwide by mail order using careful packaging and a courier service to deliver as far north as Wick and as far south as Cornwall.

Scottish Bamboo now stock over 50 different varieties of bamboo plants (the range is growing every year). All the plants we sell are carefully selected for our climate and have a proven track record of surviving temperatures comparable to North East Scotland and even lower.

The main aim of Scottish Bamboo is to provide great quality and value plants by mail order, together with knowledge and expertise (if we don't know the answer to any question you throw at us we'll make sure and find out) and last but certainly not least, to provide second to none, friendly and efficient customer service (good old fashioned Scottish customer service!).

email:info@scottishbamboo.com    website   www.scottishbamboo.com

Telephone: 01888 560834

Glenesk Cottage
Turriff, Aberdeenshire
AB53 8AH

The Secret Herb Garden, Edinburgh

They say: 'Nestled at the foot of the Pentland hills at the edge of Edinburgh lies the Secret Herb Garden our wonderful herb farm which is set within a magical 7.5 acres bordered by native hedgerows and a gentle stream. The Secret Herb Garden has been created by Hamish and myself (Liberty) and has been born from our dreams to create something truly special from our love of Herbs, good food and all things vintage.

It is with great pleasure that we welcome you to our Secret Herb Garden website and online shop.
We opened our doors on the 1st of May 2014 and very much look forward to welcoming you, in the meantime please enjoy browsing what we have to offer online and if you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us.'

Website

Wynford Farm Plants

They say: We are a plant nursery based in Ecclesmachan, Boxburn, West Lothain, Scotland, who specialize in 9cm homegrown Perennials and shrubs that include a huge range of Perennial Viola.

Website

North

Sandside, Caithness

Sandside has been sold by the Minters who have moved to Berwickshire. It is unlikely that this garden will open again under its new ownership. 

South East

Anton's Hill near Coldstream - closing

'Some years ago you photographed our garden and it was entered in the Book Gardens of Scotland.   We are selling the house and moving South.  Please can you make sure the Garden is ommitted from the next edtion.' 
Priscilla Wills
 
Walled Garden next door should still be opening.

East Central

Quercus Garden Plants

has moved from Overrankeillour, Fife to near West Linton and is under new ownership.

They say: 'We are a Scottish nursery growing and selling a range of herbaceous perennials , grasses and some trees and shrubs just south of Edinburgh. Because we grow at 850 feet above sea level our plants are tough and well acclimatised to Scottish growing conditions. We stock a wide range of plants including old favourites and many unusual varieties alongside a selection of trees and shrubs.

The nursery is situated at Whitmuir Farm on the A701 just south of Leadburn. We are one of an exciting group of businesses here, including the award-winning organic farm shop and restaurant, Dancing Light Art Gallery and The Wood Shack.

Spend an afternoon wandering around the nursery and gardens, see the animals and wildlife ponds on one of the farm trails, shop in the art gallery and The Wood Shack and enjoy good food in the organic restaurant and farm shop.'

quercus gardenplants.

Croftcat Garden

near Aberfeldy was sold in Autumn 2016 and is now closed.

South West

Cosy Cottage   owners have moved back to England. No longer open.

Shambelie Walled garden  (now closed)

http://www.shambelliewalledgarden.co.uk/contact

Newtonairds Lodge

up for sale  2020.

Steadstone   will be open for the last time summer 2015


 
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