Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
General Subjects => Blogs and Diaries => Topic started by: ichristie on November 06, 2014, 05:05:22 PM
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Hello all have decided to post a few pictures from Belleisle park which was purchased by the Ayr council in 1927 now it is South Ayrshire council. the area is surrounded by a 10 foot high wall so all stone soil and compost was lifted over the wall by a 10 ton crane called Merlot I have pictures of how it looed when I first visited and from this week, cheers Ian the Christie kind
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Next, Ian
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Selecting the rock at quarry, Ian
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This is terrific, Ian - we are nver sure where you are going to pop up next!
I am waiting to hear from Fiona Ross, the Environment Strategy Officer of the South Ayrshire Council , if she minds us reposting here the photos from the Friends of Belleisle Facebook page.
The Friends of Belleisle Park have been active since 2010,taking part in key discussions about park events and activities as well as the overall plan for the restoration project. This link will tell folks more about the whole Belleisle Park renovation scheme, which has received Lottery Funding ....
https://www.south-ayrshire.gov.uk/belleisleestate/documents/consultation%20-%208.getting%20involved.pdf (https://www.south-ayrshire.gov.uk/belleisleestate/documents/consultation%20-%208.getting%20involved.pdf)
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Great project Ian. I'd happily give my right arm for half a dozen chunks of that stone ;D
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They're big chunks David, would you be able to lift them with just your left arm? ;)
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Hello Dave all, I will let you know when the next load of stone arrives so you can come and pick with your left arm what we can strap to your bike, more pictures this morning as it is pouring rain I am stuck inside all the other jobs I need to finish will have to wait, cheers Ian the Christie kind.
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Hello all here is more info about the rock garden all the trees some 30ft high bushes and ivy shrubs were removed the original stone was left in place it looks like washed limestone, I had to try and build round this to make it look natural the new stone is well new I think it looks o/k. The big crane can lift to 28ft high and at the end of the boom is a winch so stone was strapped up then lifted over the 10ft high wall and lowered down for me to place I had some help with the big stones which were around 1 ton. I had 4 council men the first day 8 the second and 6 the third it may look like they are standing doing nothing in the pictures but when you see an big stone coming over the wall you stand clear, you will also see we had no hard hats few with yellow jackets everyone had a real good common sense it was a real pleasure to work with people who knew exactly what I wanted and worked very well with me. Fiona Ross the high head yin from the council was brilliant if I asked to do something "just go for it" Fiona did a power of work as well she planted the first plant which was Dryas octopetala SRGC emblem what else could we use more later, cheers Ian the Christie kind
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Next lot, I decided to create a feature with the rocks I planned a narrow crevice from the top to the bottom to make it look like a little stream which we will plant with small saxes and semps the top dress with stone chippings to match the big stones
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We arrived on site Wed morning to find that some parentless persons had smashed the crane windows also destroyed some of the radio control mast should have said earlier that the crane driver just had a little box with levers to tell the crane what to do pure magic any way the man was wild to quote Taggert if he caught the people who did the damage "there has been a murder" police were called and it took till lunch to get going again my team and I went back to basics with wheelbarrows. Ian
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Next. this is as far as I can go for now we had rain on the first day so got wet second day fine third day warm almost got sunburn since I came how has been monsoon. I am to go back to Belleisle in mid to end of Jan, to finish rock work then plant up as anyone who would like to come and help with planting and top dressing the garden to get in touch via this forum it would be special if a few Scottish Rockers could be involved, cheers Ian the Christie kind.
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They're big chunks David, would you be able to lift them with just your left arm? ;)
Well, I think I would borrow some of Anne Wright's minions, that would see me OK ;D
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Hello Dave all, I will let you know when the next load of stone arrives so you can come and pick with your left arm what we can strap to your bike,.......................................
Bike, me! I'd struggle to get to the top of our road never mind a 1000 mile round trip ;D
I don't know how you manage to fit everything in Ian? I struggle to keep up with one garden and a greenhouse?
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Well, I think I would borrow some of Anne Wright's minions,
David, would these two be any help? ::)
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Hello all, I have just spent another two days at Belleisle placed 12 tons of stone with the help of the faithful crane and driver had to leave early today as really heavy snow here Ann phoned to say come home snow started as I came to Glasgow then the journey from Stirling to Perth is some parts was a white out. At Belleisle yesterday I was in my Pickup eating lunch when I heard a very loud crack this was a very large Beech tree that had been blown over the tree was cut to make it safe. I will post pictures in several batches to show where we have got to another 20 tons of stone is to be delivered then I will go back and finish (I hope) the build and put in some plants. cheers Ian the Christie kind.
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Work is going well, Ian .
I was telling our NZ pals that they should take good care of you and here you are risking being squished by that huge tree in Ayr! What next? Glad Ann got you home safe. Getting very cold here so who knows what the weather will be next.
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Hello Maggie thanks for your concern I was quite a few meters away but the tree went down with a really loud crack. I must thank you very much for helping Fiona with plant suppliers when I was away I did say to Fiona if in doubt phone Maggie, anyway the team were delighted to see me back yesterday just a pity the area was so wet almost like a bog garden made things take twice as long the soil and my boots so heavy we did however put in a few plants, All SRGC members will be invited to view the finished Rock garden might be (will be) much later depends on weather, cheers Ian the Christie kind.
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Ian!
Good to see you and catch up with you last night. What a great project to restore a rock garden and a suitably herculean effort too.
Al
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hello Alan great show last night very interesting to hear about the Stainton film I plan to be at the next Mec meeting so look forward to seeing you, cheers Ian the Christie kind
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Hello all at last the Ayr Garden at Belleisle has been awarded the finances to complete all the projects so much happening within this park it is going to be very special. I have just come home after spending two days setting out and planting the rock garden first on Wednesday when we had the most desperate weather snow hail and rain by the bucket load this did not deter us for long and I have had so much help from a team of Scottish Rockers who came to keep me organised ha, ha. I have enjoyed working with this team and the Ayr council gang a real bunch of worthies all pictures (With several Messages) yesterday and today when we had some sunshine, cheers Ian the Christie kind
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Next showing the Crevice and scree are feature, Ian
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I am to go back next week on Wednesday to plant the rest we will also have a load of shrubs rhodos and azaleas the council gang will do most of this but we will have quite a few in the rock area, I am grateful to all SRGC members who gave up their time to help for me it is very important to involve them Little Audrey assures me she will go along with her we dug and sort out and vandals will report back next week, cheers Ian the Christie kind.
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Well done those Scottish Rockers helping out - you're making a grand job.
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Looks great
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I was at Belleisle Rock garden last week on Wed. and Thurs. the weather was foul again so much rain however planting is finished for now the area was top dressed with good chippings and Melcourt bark where the Azaleas and woodsie plants are just felt that to have the whole thing with chipping was a bit stark. The garden looks like a moon landscape I suppose but plants need time to grow just so cold everything is slow. Yet again the SRGC team came to help they did such a lot of work with the planting and Top dressing with the boys from the council running around getting materials and plants they have also planted the shrub area at either side of the Rock Garden, a few pictures, cheers Ian the Christie kind
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Shrub area , Ian
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Instead of a wooden sign indicating the contribution of SRGC members to the rock garden in Belleisle Park a carved stone was suggested. Ian Christie commissioned the work from the talented stonemason Chris Walker, described by Ian C. as a real character. Ian has now taken delivery of the stone, complete with the lovely Dryas SRGC logo, ready to go to Ayr.
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That stone is really impressive. Love the logo.
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Sorry to cast a cloud on the proceedings but we went to see the garden last month only to be confronted by this sign. There are always people who like to spoil it for everyone. Due to council budget cut backs, there are no staff employees at the weekend OR after 4PM on a weekday so the place is wide open unless it is locked.
I can remember 30 years ago when the glasshouse was a place to visit on a wet winter's day but it gradually fell into disrepair and the drug users took it over.
Hopefully it will return to it's former glory again when the rebuild is completed.
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How very sad Tom. Ian Christie and all the SRGC folks who have put in so much effort to the garden will be so disappointed - not to mention the workers from the Council and Park Committee who have been so involved in bringing this project together.
Very sad and frankly, infuriating that there are such horrible folk about, spoiling the garden for the many.
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The same thing happened at a 9/11 Memorial garden in my town. I would get a call from the Parks Dept. and go to the garden to see plants (some newly planted, some not), had been dug up and placed on the road and even on the two benches. One dwarf weeping Carragana that was gorgeous and been planted there for 7 years disappeared completely - just a hole left with severed roots. We circulated a notice around the neighborhood indicating more police presence and prosecution and the vandalism magically stopped. There was a new development of very expensive houses in the area and it seemed a likely source of teenagers with nothing better to do. Also, there was an attempt to remove the benches but the legs had been drilled for rebar which was then set in cement so that was unsuccessful. The garden is in a Park with many soccer fields and we enlisted coaches who enlisted their players to keep their eyes open for bad behavior. Too bad to have to go to these lengths.
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Hello a bit of an up-date from Ayr, I spoke to Fiona last week and since the Rock Garden has been screened off no more vandalism has taken place Fiona assures me that once the garden gets a bit more established they will open longer, I have also been informed that Park rangers are on duty as well but as the park is huge they will only pass through once in a while. We hope to be back at Belleisle soon to place the SRGC stone will let you know, cheers Ian the Christie kind.
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Ann and I went to Belleisle yesterday we picked up Bette Ivey the SRGC Honorary President who was going to place and unveil the SRGC stone which is shown on this Forum. I am delighted to say that the Garden is looking great plants are growing not many weeds to be seen the area is still fenced off to keep out unwelcome visitors. We met Fiona Ross the South Ayrshire council contact Fiona does not sit on her bum all day telling people to do things she goes out and gets her hands dirty as well as all the men from the council appreciate a contact who will do what is asked ( usually). I will post a series of pictures from yesterday first are the garden the Bette digging the foundation hole for the stone ( she had a lot of help) Ann and I with Audrey and SRGC Members so here goes cheers Ian the Christie kind
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We now have Bette unveiling the SRGC stone with Fiona and Lisa ( Ranger) and some Scottish Rockers
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I am also delighted to see that the Conservatory has been re-furbished looks great and a dead tree has been transformed into a Totem pole
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Ann and then went down to the sea front it was a superb sunny day so ice cream was a must now at the sea front is something very special as you can walk the Lang Scots Mile which is clearly marked along the sea front this is 224 yards longer than an imperial mile just think about this as the miles are longer you do not need to drive so far??? and your car would go another mile so more economy as you do not believe me I post pictures, cheers Ian the Christie kind ( this could only happen in Scotland )
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Hello again I forgot to say that one picture shows Bette planting Dryas octopetala which I hope will grow around the SRGC stone, we went out in the evening with Bette and Audrey which was a laugh a minute great chat food was good will have my wee dram (maybe more than one) tonight I was driving any way two more pictures, cheers Ian the Christie kind
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Twitter message today from Tracey Rodgers https://twitter.com/TraceyRodgers1/status/733244360976916480
to show how well the garden at Belleisle is looking....
[attachimg=1]
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...we think the cute wee dog likes the garden too!
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We were in the garden yesterday but I had not brought my camera with me. Although the gates were locked, we could walk round the side and see the plantings. It looks really good with plants in flower everywhere. I will have to pay a visit and take some pictures.
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A sunny day on Friday, so time to take some pictures. The wooden palisade fence has been removed and their is open access for the public.
I took the pictures randomly so there is no theme.
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The final lot.
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Thanks for these Tom, breath-taking. Ian Christie and all the other Club members who were involved in this project surely can't be thanked enough for what they have done for rock gardening and 'alpine' plants.
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If all goes well the garden should fill out in about 5 years. There were many visitors walking round and remarking favourably on the layout and planting. From my point of view, it is wonderful that the whole park is being revamped - especially the glasshouse. We used it frequently in winter when you could shelter from the rain sitting among the camellia, and semi exotic plants. The display would be changed seasonally. It was especially nice in February when the display of Spring flowers, Narcissus, Hyacinths, Tulips gave off a lovely scent when our own garden was still dormant.
The work that has gone into the Rock garden is mind boggling.. it seems to be the contents of a quarry. The weight of the stones is impressive. I'll have to buy a JCB if I wish to emulate it !
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One year later from the last post. Things moving on gradually.
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The problem with rock gardens is that it takes a long time for it to fill out, so 10 years should do it for here.