I know this post very much has an autumnal feel to it, but I love autumn and I am embracing the fact its almost here. The flower colours in the gardens and nursery are subtly changing, the soft pinks, blues and whites are giving way to the fierier end of the colour spectrum. Some plants are beginning to show hints of autumn colour on their leaves and seed heads are forming providing winter interest or a means of propagation here in the nursery. I have already collected many bags of seeds from plants in the gardens and they are now hanging from the ceiling in the office.
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| Helenium 'Moerheim Beauty' |
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| Bergenia pacumbens |
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| Marigolds and Agastache |
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| Nasturtiums in the herb garden |
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| Rhododendron Azalea deciduous 'Berryrose' |
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| Rosa glauca |
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| Rosa rugosa |
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| Rosa spinosissima (Burnet Rose) |
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| Rowans berries |
As you will know if you have visited the nursery and gardens, followed us here on social media for a while or for all our new followers we are a local independent business here at Quercus Garden Plants Limited. We have been at Whitmuir farm for 6 years and in that time have turned a scruffy, derelict piece of terraced land into an inspiring garden which is a haven for wildlife and gives our many many customers lots of inspiration and a lovely calm place to visit. Our hard work and investment in the gardens and nursery over those years have come together to create somewhere quite unique. Everything you see has been created by myself Rona and helped by my husband David. We are focused on growing and selling healthy hardy plants on site, great customer service and creating a lovely place for people to visit. This is evident in my popular Throwback Thursday posts where you can see what we started with and what we have created. Quercus is very much my vision of gardens, nursery and plants in perfect harmony and is now drawing customers from far and wide and near too as our fame and reputation continues to grow.
We very much hope we will be able to continue on at Whitmuir Farm and take Quercus Garden Plants ever further and that when the time comes we can work alongside the new owners of Whitmuir farm to create a great place to visit.
Your continuing support in this stressful time is very much appreciated.
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| Agrimonia eupatoria (common agrimony) |
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| Allium cepa proliferum |
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| Astilbe 'Deutschland' |
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| Astrantia 'Atomic Sunburst' |
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| Filipendula purpurea 'Elegans' |
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| Galium vernum |
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| Stachys and Geraniums |
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| Thalictrum delavayi |
I finally got the grasses stock beds tidied and sorted out a couple of weeks ago. While I tidied and made space Fiona split and repotted all the Molinias so we have plentiful healthy stock for next year. Most of them won't be available for sale until next spring, but its good to know we have a plentiful supply. We have plenty other grasses available which you can see on the stock list on our website.
Grasses add so much to garden and borders with texture, movement and colour and often adding all year round interest. If you've visited the nursery and gardens you'll see I've used them in many of the borders to great effect.
Thank you everyone who has wished me a happy birthday, its much appreciated. It turned out to be a lovely day. I was expecting a quiet day at work on my own getting on with work. I was wonderfully surprised by David and Bracken, Daniel and Betty turning up to surprise me, bringing lunch and cake with them. We had a 
lovely time
then home to dinner made by David and Patisserie Valerie vanilla slices for dessert I have new books to read, wine to drink, chocolate to eat, flowers to enjoy, money to spend and a voucher for Beastie assemblage to use for one of their work shops.
Thank you all for brightening up my day and turning it from a stressful grey day to a much brighter happy one xx
Work in the nursery has taken on a slower pace, as the bulk of the work is doen and I can find time to catch up on all the jobs I haven't had time to do earlier in the year. This includes sorting out all the plants dunped, I mean put behind the office to be dealt with and lots of other bits and pieces. Normally I would start a new garden or border at this time of year but with the uncertainty of our future I have had to put any development of the nursery, gardens and business on hold!
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| A day in the life of Bracken the nursery dog |
Houseplant shadows
Lloyd loom ottoman belonged to my Granny Peddie, dates from the 1930's
Indian kantha blanket from Junkshopantiques
Parlour palm, had it for years
Antique wash stand from an antique shop in Arundel 28 years ago
Ewer and basin from an antique shop on the isle of Wight 28 years ago
Faux silk flowers shhhhhh don't tell any one 
shhhhhh don't tell any one  |
| Parlour palm shadows |
At the risk of becoming an Echinacea bore here are some photos from this week. These flowers have given me so much joy over the past 2 or 3 weeks with their huge beautiful flowers and the fact I've got them to survive the winter and grow very well. I've always struggled with them but they are doing great in the driest border we have here in the nursery (and that's saying something).
On Monday we had lunch at the Inn on the Loch in Lanark, meeting up with middle son Jamie, his girl friend Natasha and Natasha's mum Cheryl, who it was lovely to meet at last. Company, food and service were great and finished off with a walk around Lanark Loch.
Useful plants from the garden - Spearmint
Spring Pea Pasta With Spearmint and Lemon
This serves 4 as a main course or 8 as a side salad.
Ingredients
1 pound pasta
3–4 cups fresh peas
5 spring onions, thinly sliced
1 shallot, very finely diced
1 cup chopped fresh spearmint
1 cup chopped Italian parsley
1/2 cup olive oil
2 lemons – zest and 1/4 cup juice
2 cups fresh pea shoots
1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Optional- goat cheese crumbled
Directions
~ Boil pasta in a generous amount of salted water according to directions.
~ While the pasta is cooking, prep the rest of the ingredients. Chop the spring onions, shallots, and herbs. Zest two lemons, and measure out 1/4 cup lemon juice ( you may need more).
~ Once the pasta is just about done, add the peas to the boiling pasta water and blanch for one minute, or just until bright green. Immediately drain, place pasta and peas in large bowl, drizzle with olive oil, lemon juice and season with 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper.
~ Toss in the pea shoots and add the spring onions, shallot, herbs and lemon zest.
~ Stir, taste, adjusting salt and lemon juice, adding more of both, if necessary. Add the goat cheese right before serving.
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| Ingredients ready for cooking |
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All contents and photographs © Rona, unauthorised reproduction & use of these images is strictly forbidden, thank you
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