Reunions, Garden shows and trains, and plants of course

July colour in the garden

There are so many fabulous plants looking their best in the nursery at the moment, I could spend all day taking photos! Here are a wee selection of them from last week. Remember most but not all are for sale, just ask if you can't find them.

We try our hardest to propagate as many as possible, but sometimes they don't co-operate, or just don't like being in pots, sometimes cuttings and propagation fails, especially in winter or in the past when our polytunnels were destroyed in storms. Sometimes more specialist plants take a longer time to reach a sellable size. Sadly we can't grow them over night - if only

If we don't have the plant you would like, we can often offer a substitute, so please ask for suggestions. We are nearly finished potting last years propagation in small pots to larger and then we start the bulk of this years propagation for next year and beyond and with having our polytunnels right behind the nursery now, we will be filling the new spaces with cuttings, young plants and will be even more efficient than we have always been

Looking good in the garden this week was really difficult as there is SO MUCH looking good lol.

Here's a wee sample from one of the stock bed borders on the top terrace

Great excitement as I was having my breakfast coffee this morning, The Crinum powellii I planted two years ago is flowering. Not a lover of Scottish gardens unless very warm and sheltered I am so excited it has A. survived and B. flowered 😊

What a weekend! Firstly thank you so much to David, Fiona and Isabel for keeping the nursery going so I could escape for 2 and a half days. Its been a busy time with lots of talking and catching up with lovely lovely people, but first the reunion.

Georgina who I studied with at Threave flew in from Argentina on Friday and I collected her from the airport. She was last over 7 years ago and has been quite ill since then so it was a joy to see her and have her stay over night so we could catch up. Maisie also made Georgina her new best friend lol.

We then drove down to Threave on Saturday morning for the 65th anniversary celebration of Threave school of Gardening where I studied a long long time ago. It was great to catch up with friends and some of the guys I was there with and spend time together, Dan, Robert, Colin, Marcus, Bruce and of course Georgina and I. The Trust did great job of organising it all with a lovely buffet, speeches and Bill Hean planting a tree. Great to see Bill, Magnus and Bob able to make it and catch up with them.

An evening do in Castle Douglas with another buffet, speeches and more catching up. I finally peeled my self away for the 2 hour drive home, managed to get home just before midnight, so no pumpkins lol.

A fabulous day with special people and life long friends

Sunday and off to Ingleston to the National Gardening and outdoor living show. I’d been asked to talk in the theatre at the show and it was a great opportunity to catch up with friends, do some networking and chat to folks I know. This is the show’s first outing and Adam and his team have done a great job putting it together. Getting these things off the ground is always challenging and with the current economic climate attracting businesses, nurseries and folk to exhibit is never easy. Lots of folk have been comparing it to Gardening Scotland, its not, and even GS had to start some where and took years

to build up.

Any hoo, lots of lovely stands and my talk with Helen went well, thanks to everyone who silently cheered me on from the sidelines, its great to be able to promote Quercus. Yes I do have other clothes but love this new dress so making the best of the summer weather while it lasts.

I might have bought a couple of new Echeveria for my greenhouse at home, hard to resist on Eastoft Echeveria’s lovely stand. Also worth a mention was Dibley’s stand, Wacks Wicked Plants, the Bonsai, koi carp, how big were they and the beautiful paper flowers from Edinburgh Paper Flowers. Also lovely to talk to Marnie on her lovely stand Marnie Jones Studios, Nadine at Pentland Aromatics, always the best place to go for all things beautifully scented and Fiona at Colour Your World. Great to catch up with MT in person from Scotland Grows Magazine and of course my lovely friend Sarah Fiona.

On Monday we drove up to Almondell to meet Dan and Betty for a trip on one of the trains Dan has been restoring at ESME, where he is to be found a lot. We had a lovely time with a picnic lunch and lots of trips on the train.

Tuesday and a day at home catching up in the garden and house. A quick weed and tidy of the front and back garden, grass cut and all the pots given a good soak and then again in the evening. Lunch and dinner outside making the most of the warm weather. The gardens continue to be full of colour and I'm really happy with how they look. A trip to the dentist in between and a now clean and tidy hoose after a busy week and a tiny bit of outstanding admin done.

cornflowers in the back garden

Viola tricolor

In the back garden

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