Good turnout for Open Gardens last weekend

22 July 2016

Saturday - Clive and Julie's - The Warren, Kilcoy
 

Clive and Julie were kept busy on Saturday showing a steady stream of visitors round their garden at The Warren, Kilcoy – though 'garden' is hardly adequate to describe it, as in addition to a newly rabbit-fenced vegetable plot they have a large area of lawn, shrubs and rough grass, a 'wilderness space' where nature is left to take its course, and over an acre of woodland. 

 

The sloping vegetable area contains a number of terraced semi-raised beds randomly planted with a variety of vegetables and unusual salad plants, and a potato patch (hastily fenced against deer) with fifteen different varieties bought at TBI's Potato Day.  Refreshments and a variety of reading material were on offer in the large conservatory where many of the garden plants were raised.

Clive and Julie have achieved a remarkable amount since moving to The Warren last September, and have ambitious plans for future development.  Thanks are due to them for inviting TBI members to share and enjoy their work in progress.

 

Sunday - Maggie Dove's - Jemimaville

Julian Paren was one of many visitors to Maggie's wonderful garden, and writes:

Maggie Dove opened her garden for Grow North and TBI Members on Sunday 31 July.  Maggie lives in the centre of Jemimaville and her north-facing garden lying behind the house trends down to the shore of the Cromarty Firth.  Maggie runs her garden as a dig-free garden, which includes a greenhouse and one area in which she follows Forest Permaculture Principles. 

Maggie showed off her array of compost containers that are an essential element of a no-dig approach because she feeds the crops by applying surface mulches.  Maggie’s approach for growing potatoes is to start with a pile of cut weeds, which are covered with cardboard, and potatoes planted through it into the decaying weeds, all topped off with a layer of mulch.  Further mulch is added as the foliage grows.  This seemed to all as a great way to make weeds edible!  Something I will try.
 

Maggie’s garden was full of vegetables, fruit bushes, fruit trees and above all small plants that could be used in salads or just nibbled as you maintained the garden.   One speciality of Maggie is growing varieties of willow and dogwoods, from which Maggie harvests the stems for basket making and other crafts.  She has also constructed a rainwater collection system at the house and through a long pipe delivers the water to a pond at the bottom of the garden.  Maggie seems to have thought of everything!

Maggie enthused for the hour of our garden tour and the 1pm group left with many ideas from a fascinating insight into a less orthodox way of running a garden that was clearly very productive and successful.  Thank you Maggie.