The great outdoors

SCOTLAND IS RICH IN DIVERSITY WHEN IT COMES TO GARDENS. SUKI URQUHART PICKS A FEW FAVOURITES

The capricious nature of Scotland's climate would seem to make it an unpromising place to garden. Four seasons can be experienced in one day is the boast, and often the reality. The coolness and the rain in fact favour many plants. Drought is not a factor, and the long summer days create extra growing time, albeit offset by the short, dark winter days. The main enemies of the gardener in Scotland are the biting wind, the rabbits and the deer.

These factors, along with geographical differences in soil and rainfall, dictate the variety and types of gardens to be found. Weather and predators also account for the huge numbers of walled gardens that have been created from the earliest times, and are still in use today. For year-round interest, this strong architectural element can be an asset.

To choose just a few gardens from more than 500 officially open, it is necessary to find a unifying element, so I have concentrated on gardens that are open either all summer, or all year round, and in particular those that tell an historical story. The plants within these gardens may have changed over the centuries. Some plantings have tried to remain true to their heritage while others have simply been gardened within the historic boundaries and around the historic buildings. The relationship of a garden to the house and the immediate environment is always a crucial element for aesthetic appeal. How a garden was shaped by the human condition of the time is quite another. Planting in gar...

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• By : Suki Urquhart
• In : Outdoor Scotland
• Issue : 6
• Page : 72
• Words : 1,620