The Scottish Borders are made up of fertile farmland and historic towns, set against the backdrop of the Southern Uplands and they contain some of the finest gardens in Scotland. Here are just some of them.
Abbotsford
Melrose, Roxburghshire TD6 9BQ
www.scottsabbotsford.com
The garden at Abbotsford was designed by Sir Walter Scott with advice from artists, architects and friends. It is a rare surviving example of a Regency garden layout – and completely different from the English Landscape Garden which ‘Capability’ Brown made his own in the previous decades. Abbotsford’s garden aims to provide a harmonious transition between the luxury and comfort of the interiors of the house with wonders of nature in the wider estate through a series of secluded, richly detailed and sheltered ‘rooms’. It would have showcased the latest plants discovered from around the globe, both in its borders and ‘stove houses’, and was tended by William Bogie, a Frenchman trained by one of the most celebrated gardeners of the day.
Today the gardens are still fundamentally Scott’s work, though with certain alterations carried out by his descendants to adapt the space for the changing needs of the family.
A Juliette balcony sited at Scott’s bedroom window has views to a Rapunzel tower on the other side of the River Tweed and Scott’s greenhouse, based in a medieval jousting tent, presides over a kitchen garden containing heritage fruits and vegetables.
Harmony Garden
St Mary’s Road, Melrose TD6 9LJ
www.nts.org.uk
Harmony Garden is a place for relaxation and contemplation.
Three acres of manicured lawns, scented borders and fruit and vegetable beds spread out from a beautifully proportioned Georgian Manor House.
The garden is also an excellent viewing point, with an outlook that features the majestic ruins of Melrose Abbey and the nearby Eildon Hills.
It lies adjacent to Priorwood Garden and both are in the care of the National Trust for Scotland. Priorwood is Scotland’s only dedicated dried flower garden. Most of the flowers and herbs are grown for this purpose but they also provide an impressive display in their own right, especially in summer when the herbaceous borders are at their vibrant and colourful best.
With wonderfully framed views across to the abbey, the orchard cultivates many historical apple varieties, as well as plums, pears, damsons and greengages.
Finally, the shady woodland area brings a touch of untamed wildness to the garden.
Kailzie Gardens
Kailzie, Peebles EH45 9HT
www.kailziegardens.com
The gardens at Kailzie are part of a large estate bordering the Tweed and the cultivated areas are surrounded by woods and natural moorland.
Climbing roses smother the walls of the walled garden while shrub roses fill it with scent and wisteria and pelargoniums bloom in the greenhouse.
In spring the wild garden is carpet in snowdrops, then daffodils and other spring bulbs and azaleas and rhododendrons provide colour and scent in May and early June.
Kailzie is home to the oldest Larch tree in Scotland - planted in 1725 - and the burnside walk is lush with streamside plantings.
Wildlife abounds here, including ospreys, kingfishers, cuckoos and red squirrels.
Floors Castle
Kelso, Roxburghshire TD5 7SF
www.floorscastle.com
The 4 acre walled garden is a showpiece of seasonal colour and interest. The glasshouses date from the 1850’s and the Victorian tradition of growing tender plants and fruits continues today. Exciting new developments have been created in the gardens. A substantial oak-framed fruit cage using oak from the surrounding woodlands has been built for growing soft fruit including strawberries, gooseberries and Scottish raspberries. A new Tapestry garden has been created with a mix of meandering paths, hidden corners and other features to explore.
Relocated to the West of the Castle in 1857, the Walled Gardens historically grew fruit and vegetables for the Castle Kitchen and to provide flowers for the House. This tradition continues today.
Meanwhile the herbaceous borders at Floors Castle are some of the finest in the UK.
The Star Plantation, with its radiating paths, is a mix of mature hardwood trees, shrubs and open glades and the Millenium Garden, created in 2000, is a French-style box parterre.
Dawyck Botanic Garden
Stobo, Scottish Borders EH45 9JU
www.rbge.org.uk
Dawyck is one of the world’s great arboreta, with seasonal displays of native and exotic plants. The Scrape Burn flows through the garden and the streamside plantings, including spectacular beds of Himalayan blue poppies, form an understory for trees and shrubs.
Conifers are Dawyck's crowning glory, with a number of outstanding specimens in terms of size, history and rarity. The Garden's champion conifers include two Japanese species - Nikko fir and Maries fir and Britain's largest specimen of the Austrian black pine.
Overhanging Scrape Glen is a large Japanese katsura tree which in early autumn fills the air with a caramel scent as its leaves turn a pale biscuit colour. As autumn advances the Japanese maples and spindles stand out with their colourful foliage.
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