It's that time of year again when we are desperate to see some colour, and especially see the clumps of Snowdrops emerging with their pure white nodding flowers. Is it just me or have the snow drops been later this year?
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| Crab Apples and Lichen |
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| Snowdrops at Kailzie |
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| A lovely mature specimen of Prunus serula |
As usual it's always almost too late by the time I get a snowdrop visit in but the flowers were still fresh. I'm also trying to go somewhere different every year to see snowdrops and this week was the week. However, with both of us are still under the weather with colds we decided to stay local and visit Kailzie Gardens on the south east side of Peebles. You can see their website
here. As the year goes on there is plenty to see and do in the gardens including a walled garden, which is closed in winter.
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| Snowdrops in snow |
There's not the profusion of snowdrops as can be found in other gardens but there are still lovely swathes of them and the woodland walks are lovely under mature trees and alongside trickling burns. One of the big attractions for us is that dogs are allowed on leads, so Bracken came with us and had a great time. We meandered along narrow paths that brought us out next to the walled garden, where we peered through the gates. Past ornamental ponds with their coating of ice and through secret gates hidden in the ancient hedges.
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| Black and white walled garden |
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| In the walled garden |
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| Ice-bound formal ponds |
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| Peeking into the walled garden |
Although cold the edge was taken off by the glorious sunshine and clear blue skies, a beautiful day to be out. There was a bonfire smoking at the end of the drive, with the smoke drifting through the trees and that great bonfire smell. We wandered down the side of the burn where the walk had great view of trees and shrubs used to maximum effect for winter interest.
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| Walking down the side of the stream |
Stands of maturing silver birches with their stark white trunks under-planted with bulbs, Cornus with their rich red stems standing out against the snow and evergreen background of conifers. Stately old conifers reaching for the blue sky and all set off by glimpses of the River Tweed and the Manor hills behind.
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| Betula pendula making an impressive display (there's always a dog in there somewhere!) |
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| White crocus under the trees |
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| Great winter colour with the hills behoind |
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| Cornus, hills and blue sky, a great combination |
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| Stately old conifers |
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| Taking a rest |
The tea room is also closed at the moment for refurbishment so after our wander through the woods and gardens we headed back to Peebles and stopped off for lunch there. If I get the chance I'll go back to Kailzie in the summer to look at the walled garden. If you in or around Peebles and the borders, do visit the gardens.
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| Petasited (Butterburr) by the stream |
You can read my previous snowdrop blogs here:
Feb 2014
Feb 2015
March 2015
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Have never visited Kailzie Rona - so thanks for the recommendation. I must get myself down there, perhaps marry it in with a stop by the nursery on my way back. I am sure I have a week's leave in April - I will look into their opening times etc.
ReplyDeleteLovely photos by the way and I hope those colds clear up soon.
Hi Ngie, was my first visit there, considering it's almost on our doorstep these days it's taken a while :) Be great to see yu if you pop by, yes the lingering lurgy i still hanging on by it's fingernails, bored of it now :( We were so lucky with the weather on Monday, helps with the photos :)
ReplyDeleteAll of your pictures are beautiful but that black and white one is stunning. I have only seen a few snowdrops around this year, less than previous years. I hope your cold has improved now xxx
ReplyDeleteHi Fran, the formality of the walled garden needed the black and white I felt. I'm glad you liked it. I felt the snow drops are late here this year and yet I was in Dumfrieshire yesterday and they are almost over.
ReplyDeleteHello - your photos of these gardens are lovely and the snowdrops in the snow are beautiful. The snowdrops have finished here, but I'm much further south than you. The scenery around the gardens looks wonderful, too.
ReplyDeleteHi Wendy, thanks for your comment, we are always 2 or 3 weeks behind gardens in the south, I'm glad you enjoyed the photographs :)
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