What a thrill to return to Crathes! The blackcap was singing as if in welcome; various heady scents drifted over the garden; the deutzia and philadelphus were as good as I had remembered; the roses – especially Celeste – were there to delight; the imposing onopordum thistles were in flower; and catching up with theContinue reading “Summertime… and the living is hard”
Category Archives: Gardens, Historic landscapes
Welcome back
Excitement builds as I contemplate returning to the garden. It’s over 100 days since my last visit. The garden will open on Monday 6 July. Joanna reports that she has been planting out in the Upper Pool Garden. The bedding out is more or less completed although they were a little short of plants onContinue reading “Welcome back”
An exciting prospect
The daily news is hopeful and it looks as if the garden might open sometime in July. The photographs sent this week make that a very exciting prospect. When I wrote about the Aeonium tabuliforme in April I didn’t indicate the overwhelming success of the germination; neither did I realise at the time how theContinue reading “An exciting prospect”
Castle, cottage, and fine design
Whilst everything remains uncertain, the garden at Crathes is definitely gearing up for visitors. Joanna reports that the June Border is coming on nicely and that planting out has started in earnest. The half-hardy beds are filling up, the bananas and succulents are finding their place, and the purple bell vines, Rhodochiton atrosanguineus, are beingContinue reading “Castle, cottage, and fine design”
The Imperial Flower
Even in normal times it’s difficult to keep up with the garden in May. At Crathes with three gardeners and many volunteers short, the remaining three gardeners are working hard, prioritising, and, like all of us, planning for an uncertain future. With Joanna back at work there is a little more time to take photographsContinue reading “The Imperial Flower”
Armchair travels
We may be in Lockdown, but I have travelled a fair amount this week in a virtual quest to learn a little more about the berberis shrubs, and since there are about two hundred species in the world I do mean a ‘little’. None are native to Britain, but some berberis are naturalised – IContinue reading “Armchair travels”
Patience is a Virtue
When, in 1937, Vita Sackville-West wrote about her 25 favourite flowers, she included two fritillaries. The crown imperial, Fritillaria imperialis, was especially important to her because she had come upon it unexpectedly growing in a damp ravine in Persia where ‘the Crown Imperials stood up like torches between the wet rocks’. F. imperialis is onContinue reading “Patience is a Virtue”
Fashions come and go – carnations and succulents
April is the cherry month and whilst there are plenty of cherries around Torphins, I will miss the Crathes specialities. However, I was amazed to see James’s photograph of the Prunus incisa ‘Moerheimii’ on the Doocot Border in full flower. I don’t remember it being so covered in bloom in previous years. I struggled withContinue reading “Fashions come and go – carnations and succulents”
Americans in the Garden
We live in surreal times and being unable to visit our favourite places is of minor importance in the scheme of things, but I will not be the only person missing Crathes. Gardens, however, go on growing regardless. I am keeping in touch with the James, the Head Gardener, as much as possible, and tenContinue reading “Americans in the Garden”
Tim’s Medal
Here in lower Deeside, we have had the most glorious sunny weather, if a little cold. Mostly too cold for the honeybees; Steve, who keeps bees, tells me that the temperature needs to be above nine degrees before there is much activity. When the bees finally get on the move they will find plenty ofContinue reading “Tim’s Medal”
