It happens that one of my favourite walks takes me through the Craigmyle estate – an estate that has had connections with Crathes since at least the seventeenth century. Since it is a circular walk of three to four miles from my door it is ideal for Lockdown exercise. Craigmyle lies to the east ofContinue reading “A winter’s walk”
Category Archives: Gardens, Historic landscapes
Tis the season for quizzes
Happy New Year! Whilst the short term view of the year is alarming, the long view does look more hopeful. Meantime Lockdown has returned and Crathes is off limits for volunteers. The gardening staff are still working, but other Crathes staff are on furlough. The walled garden is shut until further notice. Last year hasContinue reading “Tis the season for quizzes”
Goodbye to 2020
Few of us will regret the passing of 2020. Gardens and green places, however, have been a star turn during this difficult year as the outside world became the safe place to be. Those of us who have gardens realise how fortunate we are; not only is it a safe place to be, but –Continue reading “Goodbye to 2020”
Pushing the limits
With the mild days gone we can see how much damage the frost does generally, and how tender plants can sometimes survive in sheltered parts of the garden against expectations. Most of the fuchsias are finished for the year, but will come back in the spring. Fuchsia reflexa in the Upper Pool Garden may beContinue reading “Pushing the limits”
Mild November days
This November has been incredibly mild, until a short sharp diversion of the Jet Stream this last Thursday brought arctic winds from the north. Although it only lasted 24 hours I wonder what will have happened to the flowers that gave me so much pleasure earlier in the month – fuchsias, salvias, gazanias, penstemons, theContinue reading “Mild November days”
…purple and orange and blue
With the frosts holding off, the garden offers plenty of colour combinations to cheer our spirits. The oranges, yellows and reds of the turning leaves remain dominant, but a few blue flowers can still be found. The nepeta beside the trellis that was cut back on 21 July has been re-flowering for a few weeksContinue reading “…purple and orange and blue”
Red and yellow and pink and green…
As the seasons change, so does the palette. Leaves become more important in our colour schemes as green chlorophyll is reabsorbed exposing yellow carotinoids and red anthocyanins. Berries and fruits, too, are more commonly yellow, orange or red. It’s a big show before winter sets in. Some years ago on an October visit to BenmoreContinue reading “Red and yellow and pink and green…”
The East West divide
During the last days of September we were holidaying on the Mull of Kintyre. Certainly there was ‘a mist rolling in from the sea’ on occasion, but mostly we had fantastic weather. The day we took the ferry to Gigha was one of those lovely days. Gigha is a small island to the west ofContinue reading “The East West divide”
Hanging on to summer
Mid-September and the days are balmy and delicious. In the garden the salvias continue to shine, the later flowering Salvia corrugata catching attention with its dark green corrugated leaves, its rusty tomentose stems, and it glorious blue flowers. Nosing around the internet I find an interesting story regarding its introduction. Jim Archibald, a Scot, startedContinue reading “Hanging on to summer”
Don’t dismiss the flies
With the possibility of down-sizing I need to get rid of some books, but it’s not easy. I can spend an afternoon considering two books before putting them back on the shelves. I was looking through some bound copies of The Gardener, a ‘Weekly Journal’ for 1901 when I came across an article on pollinationContinue reading “Don’t dismiss the flies”
Notes from Crathes 