Dumfries and Galloway Garden Weekend

[Lesley Cox]

More lovely things, especially the white - or nearly white - Roscoea cautleoides. And I wish my Philesia would flower like that. I wish my Philesia would flower at all

[fermi de Sousa]

Lesley,
that cool blue flower is Borago laxiflora and can be a pernicious weed in our climate so be wary if you decide to try it in your garden!
cheers
fermi

[shelagh]

Thanks for the identification Fermi, I've not heard of that plant before but I agree that from what I saw it could become a bit of a thug.

Well here are the last pics from the weekend.  On Sunday we visited Brian Davidson's (organiser) vertical garden in Gatehouse of Fleet.  It is very steep and rocky but he has a small vegetable patch at the bottom where it's flat.

Then on to a garden at Barnhourie Mill at Sandyhills belonging to Dr. Mavis Paton which has some old established Rhodos.

You can tell how much we packed in to our time in Scotland, we only went for a weekend but it has taken a week to post the pics.

Shelagh

[shelagh]

And finally Barnhourie Mill.

[shelagh]

And finally finally, the entire company except for the photographer ofcourse.

[Maggi Young]

A small but very select band enjoying a wonderful weekend; it seems even the weather was good to you! What lovely gardens. I am ashamed to say that that corner of the country is pretty much a mystery to me, so I am pleased to have been afforded this chance of a cyber visit... thank you Shelagh!
By the way, I think that is the first time I have seen Brian (your one!) without a shirt and tie! Was the weather really hot or was he just feeling totally relaxed?
 PS you will see I have amended your post... the garden at Barnhourie is owned by Dr Paton.... she, like most Scottish Patons, is a Paton not a Peyton!

[shelagh]

Hi Maggi,

Thanks for the amendment.

Brian was horrified to see a picture of himself without a jacket and tie, he says the paparazzi get everywhere these days and he assures you that he will be 'properly dressed' the next time he sees you.

Shelagh

[Brian Ellis]

Not quite sure where to post this as we visited on May 19th - not enough hours in the day to have done this earlier
We were welcomed with open arms at Glenwhan, apparently the site was bought over the phone without it having been seen!!  The first picture below shows what lies beyond the end of the garden and is an indication of how the whole area looked before the planting started.  Help was given by Hilliers nurseries and I am sure you agree it is beautifully designed and planted. Three general views to start with:
beyond the garden
general view
round the back
I even was taken by the hybrid rhodos Maggie
rhododendron Logan Damaris
rhododendron Paprika Spice
rhododendron Percy Wiseman
rhododendron Pointe Defiance
rhododendron Saffron Queen
and a couple of other things
Embothryium lanceolatum
Schisandra rubriflora

[David Nicholson]

It looks a lovely place Brian.

[shelagh]

HI Brian,

Great pictures.  The Schisandra is a new one on me but it looks absolutely beautiful, though it is probably too big for our pocket handkerchief.

Shelagh

[Brian Ellis]

Yes Shelagh I think it would not be appropriate in a small garden It is a lovely chinese plant and I would quite like to have it ... but, like you, no room.  Glenwhan is a definite garden to go back to, and so is Corsock House near Castle Douglas.  A Scottish baronial affair with a very large garden charmingly created so that there are pockets of cultivated garden amidst the more natural areas.  Water for the fountain below, and the house, came from a loch at a higher level and the filtration house was of woven twigs!  I loved the statue of the bagpiper.  Just a taster then,
entrance drive
bagpiper
gravity fed fountain
gazebo
rhododendron cinnabarinum
bluebell
bluebell wood
bridge
lakeside temple
reflections
I hope you like them.

[Brian Ellis]

Whoops fingers slipped!
bluebell wood
bridge
lakeside temple
reflections

Sorry about that!

[Lesley Cox]

These are all lovely Brian. Obviously a beautiful pair to add to one's list of places that must be seen. wish I could

[Brian Ellis]

Sorry Lesley I shall pile on the agony!  We couldn't travel 400 miles without visiting Logan.  Enjoyable as ever here are a few things that caught my eye.  One of the first, near the entrance was a clianthus - it seems to be in flower at almost whatever time of year we have visited, in the garden we came across a large Peony rockii looking absolutely stunning.  Nearby was Anemone trullifolia which I was quite taken with. A general view of the seat and pool near to which was a wonderful stand of Asphodelus ramosum and Camassia leichtlinii atrocaeruleus - this last a really good colour.  Behind us was Beschorneria yuccoides which wouldn't win a prize in a beauty contest, it must have been a new planting as I saw one earlier in May in Norfolk which was an enormous clump.  A real contrast to it was Bulbinella hookeri.

[Brian Ellis]

One or two others - I was intrigued with Drimys andina, such an unusual flower.  Echiums were in abundance, I am amazed at the variety there are, this one is Echium nervosum.  I had never before come across Holboellia latifolia, I thought this one was absolutely beautiful and must go on my wish list   Another unknown for me was Jovellana violacea, sadly by the time I got to the sales area the rest of the group had bought them all.  Not to be outdone I found one at Cally Gardens!  We all loved the meconopsis - not the easiest of things to grow in dry old Norfolk.  I thought primula pulverulenta was a good one and found it near the gunnera area - I have hundreds of photos of gunnera - why they fascinate me I don't know.  We have two in our small garden, the largest grows to about 4 cms!  Lastly in the wall there were planted a number of a large grey leaved plant, can anyone identify it please?