Scenic island locations, rare plants and secret green spaces – Scotland’s Gardens Scheme unveils this year’s gardens opening for charity.
Garden lovers can visit over 500 gardens across the country this year, from castles and stately homes to small urban oases, as the open garden charity Scotland’s Gardens Scheme marks its 90th anniversary.
For the adventurous traveller, the 2022 programme includes 19 gardens on nine islands, from Shetland to Gigha, with garden visits just a ferry trip away. Castle gardens at Dunvegan and Armadale on Skye, sea views across luscious planting at Leathad Ard on the Isle of Lewis, and giant gunnera on Gigha at Achamore Gardens are just a few of this year’s island highlights.
Meanwhile, the Secret Garden is a unique garden at the centre of a biodynamic farm on the Isle of Lismore in the Inner Hebrides, and is a haven for wildflowers, birds, bees and butterflies. It has a vegetable garden, tree nursery, physic garden, orchard and poly tunnel.
For urban inspiration, there are lots of clever solutions at The Gardens of Lower New Town trail in Edinburgh in June. It includes the remarkable Potted Garden, awarded a Gold Medal at RHS My Chelsea Garden last year.
New additions include The Gardens of Milton of Campsie near Glasgow and Boarhills Village Gardens in Fife, while returning gardens including Gifford Bank in East Lothian with its beautiful, scented roses growing over six arches.
These garden gems are all listed in the 2022 “yellow book” of Scottish gardens open for charity which was recently published and is available via the Scotland’s Gardens Scheme website.
Liz Stewart, national organiser for the charity, said: “We’re excited to welcome everyone back for another season of gardens open for charity and to share the wonderful variety of gardens we have to offer in Scotland.
“Most of all, we know that our garden openings provide such pleasure to both visitors and garden owners – the chance to connect with other garden lovers, to inspire and be inspired, all while raising much-needed funds for charity.”
ISLANDS & VIEWS
Plant enthusiasts looking for something different will see many rare and tender species in the ever-popular Wester Ross garden, 2 Durnamuck, featured on the guidebook cover. Many of the plants have been collected from all over the world and growing them has provided obvious challenges but with a pleasing outcome.
New to the scheme is Achamore Gardens on the Isle of Gigha. The 54-acre gardens host many notable and unusual plants and trees from around the world. The Garden Viewpoint has stunning views over to Islay and Jura.
In Peebles in the Scottish Borders, Kirkton Manor House has a delightful, three-acre, informal country garden set in the beautiful Manor Valley. It enjoys spectacular open views and calling curlews from its riverside position where grass paths meander along the burn where blue and white camassia, meconopsis and ligularia thrive.
More spectacular views, this time over Fife to Perthshire and Angus, make South Flisk garden in Blebocraigs quite special. Next to the house is the St Andrews Pottery and the owner will be demonstrating his skills with the kiln for those who need a break from the garden.
COMMUNITY SPACES
Community gardens often serve as wellbeing retreats for locals, as well as providing lovely surroundings. Heart of Scotstoun Community Garden in Glasgow has been developed into a tranquil and beautiful outdoor space open for the local community to enjoy.
FOR PLANTSPEOPLE
For rare plants and a national collection of nicotiana, head to Amulree in Drummore, near Stranraer. The garden, started in 2017, now consists of a sunny terrace with displays of half-hardy and tender plants, exuberantly-planted borders separated by serpentine grass patches, a small vegetable patch, a glasshouse, and a “wild” area.
Helensbank in Kincardine is another example of a passionate plant growers’ garden. It houses well over 100 roses, including the National Collection of Portland Roses. Distinctive garden “rooms” in part of the garden comprise a perennial blue and white cottage garden, a formal rose garden, and an Italian double courtyard with citrus trees in pots. A “hot” courtyard contains exotics including varieties of banana.
This garden is available to view by arrangement from June to the end of September, with an annual garden concert planned for late July/early August.
GARDENS FOR ART LOVERS
A marriage of nature, land art and poetry can be experienced in the Pentland Hills at Little Sparta – Ian Hamilton Finlay’s greatest work of art. Opening for the first time with Scotland’s Gardens Scheme in addition to its regular summer openings, the garden was started by Ian Hamilton Finlay in 1966 in partnership with his wife, Sue Finlay, and became an internationally-acclaimed garden across seven acres of a wild and exposed moorland site.
BY ARRANGEMENT
Did you know that hundreds of gardens are open to visitors by arrangement with the garden owner? This means your visit will be exclusive to you with no crowds, and at a time to suit you and the owner who will show you round and also leave you free to wander.
Simply browse the guidebook or website and look for “by arrangement” gardens in the opening details for each listing, then contact the owner using the details provided.
Scotland’s Gardens Scheme supports the opening of gardens to raise money for charity through garden gate tickets, plant sales and teas. Most are privately owned and are normally inaccessible to the public at other times. Scotland’s Gardens Scheme is a charity that raises funds for around 250 other charities each year, including its beneficiary charities – The Queen’s Nursing Institute Scotland, Perennial, and Maggie’s.
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