Garden Expert
Meet Rona Dodds from Quercus Garden Plants
May 30th 2020Willow, a tree now mainly associated with scrubby margins of rivers and streams, was once one of the most useful plants of the countryside. Willow wattles have been woven and used by man for thousands of years. The ability of these materials to weave, twist, whilst being durable and pliable, has been employed for many […]
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Meet Stuart Stockley from Fyvie Castle – NTS
May 6th 2020Originally from Essex, I moved to Scotland after meeting my wife. Although I’ve had a passion for gardens from a young age after helping to transform my parents garden as youngster, I didn’t take it up as profession until later in life. Before becoming the Gardener at Fyvie Castle I was a florist and, on many occasions, worked […]
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Meet Melissa Simpson – Dumfries House
March 9th 2020Dumfries House, one of Scotland’s most beautiful stately homes, sits at the heart of a sprawling 2000-acre estate. Now a bustling tourist attraction that welcomes tens of thousands of visitors every year, it’s hard to believe that the fate of the house and estate hung in the balance not so long ago. Designed by 18th […]
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Meet Helen Carmichael – Princeland House
February 5th 2020My love for gardening and the beginning of Princeland House I got the feel for gardening in my late thirties. That feel became an obsession, so much so that after attending a few short courses at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, I started a small but successful gardening and design business, which carried on […]
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Meet Chris Harrison – Kelburn Castle
December 5th 2019Meet Chris Harrison, Head Gardener at Kelburn Castle. Chris has been a Gardener for 15 years and the Head Gardener at Kelburn since 2014. He previously worked as an Engineer, but his love of gardening, instilled in him from an early age, helping his mother in the garden, led him to change careers. Chris loves […]
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A Plantswoman’s Guide to Gardening – Tessa Knott – Glenwhan
September 2nd 2019News from Galloway, South West Scotland When Mervyn Kessell was last here in the garden at Glenwhan he was very struck by the hydrangeas and how well they blended in with the rhododendrons. Not long after, he suggested I write an article to that effect. This must have been more than a few years ago […]
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Meet Beki Marriott – Head Gardener from Mount Stuart
August 1st 2019A Journey through Mount Stuart Gardens Mount Stuart is home to over 300 acres of designed landscape and is located on the eastern shore of the Isle of Bute, on the West coast of Scotland. Mount Stuart’s gardens plays host to many spectacular features, including the opulent splendor of the Victorian gothic house built by […]
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Meet Craig Cameron, Head Gardener at Teasses Estate
July 3rd 2019The gardens at Teasses house have undergone an enormous restoration project since the estate was purchased by the current owners back in the mid-90’s. As with much of the estate, the gardens had disappeared under pasture land for grazing livestock and little else. I like to think that the House and Gardens have saved from […]
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A Plantswoman’s Guide to Gardening
June 12th 2019News from Galloway, South West Scotland End of May and early June…The most beautiful time of the year, and I wish I could Stop the Clock, well anyway, for a little longer period, at least. Everywhere you look, the Countryside is so beautiful, clothed in the most lovely shades of delicate green young foliage, and […]
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May 8th 2019Tessa Knott, News from Galloway, South West Scotland When you mention Galloway, many people look puzzled and say ‘Oh is that in Ireland’! Well no actually, we are a relatively little known corner of Scotland, namely Wigtownshire. A hidden place, but a very beautiful and picturesque area of Scotland. In fact, Drummore down at the end of The Mull […]
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