Gardens at Harvieston

Our gardening group goes once a fortnight to some lovely garden or other, thanks to Sheena, our group organiser.   Generally we get a guided tour of the garden but are often allowed to wander by ourselves.  Our last visit was to Harvieston , where the present owners, 19 years ago, bought a cottage and what they described as a walled field!  It would at one time have been the walled gardens of Harvieston House, but had been dug up and grassed over by the time the couple bought what was likely the gardener’s cottage. The cottage needed some repairs, so those were done first, to make it into a beautiful single storey home, and then it was the garden’s turn for some TLC – tender loving care.

Even the garden gate was transformed, from an ugly wooden  gate in just a gap in the wall, by the addition of new pillars and a wrought iron gate  Little by little small “rooms” were created; hedges and trees planted; flowerbeds dug and planted; paths and steps built here and there ; a pond created; a summer house constructed and benches set out in the spots with nice views over flowerbeds or pond.

in the prairie garden    

Grasses and flowers grow together in this colourful prairie garden and paths and brick built walls for sitting on make visiting it  a very pleasant experience.

There were plenty of bees around the echinops.  I took several photos but this was my favourite. 

Some of the trees in the woodland came from overseas.  I suspect the flaky bark tree came from Australia, though I don’t know where the white bark tree came from. Wherever it may be they were doing very well at Harvieston.

The pond was a recent addition to the garden, along with the summerhouse at the far end.  The water lilies and the grasses planted round the edge were very pretty.

 

 

 

 

The shrubs provided a good deal of colour too and there was also, even in August a little tinge of autumn colour.

At  the back of the cottage there is a semicircular lawn, bordered by a semicircular bed of shrubs and small trees.  Over to the right was the vegetable garden complete with greenhouses set behind a privet hedge.    I spotted several white butterflies but they were always too quick for the camera, though I did get this one  and another of one of our LBJs (little brown jobs) a dunnock!

It was a lovely afternoon.  I’d like to see what else the owners add to the garden, because apparently it is still not finished.  Maybe we’ll pay them another visit in a couple of years time. Now, just a few more photos to finish off with…..

Talk again soon.