Archive for the ‘Gardening’ Category

Holiday in Southern Scotland

Tuesday, June 1st, 2010

Guests leaving this morning said that their visit to Cosses Country House was ‘the icing on the cake’ to finish a lovely week touring Scotland. They said that the dinner was fabulous – Fresh asparagus with Marrbury Smoked Salmon and home grown salad leaves; Fillet of Dalduff beef with mushroom stuffed with spinach and roast beetroot with balsamic and saute potatoes; Blackcurrant Creme Brulee; Scottish Cheese and Home made oatcakes; finished with coffee and home made Tablet.
They called in woodland Farm shop to buy farm house cheese – Ann Dorwood’s Aiket Brie and Epicure potatoes to take back home to Ireland; then they were going for a walk in Castle Kennedy before going for the ferry.

It rained last night, which watered the garden, as I had planted out the runner beans – St George and climbing beans – Cobra. The first early potatoes (in the green house) will be ready at the weekend, the spring cabbage is almost ready, and everything else has grown after the rain – including the weeds!

Gardens in Southern Scotland are a ‘must see’ in May

Sunday, May 9th, 2010

May is my favourite month! Everything is poised to burst open, there’s an incredible amount of energy around and lots of bird song. There are carpets of bluebells throughout the woods, with many other wild flowers including orchids. The camellias, rhododendrons and azaleas, crinodendrons, embothriums and other spring flowering trees and shrubs provide stunning colour and scents. There are numerous gardens, open to the public, for the garden lover to enjoy and we suggest itineraries for guests to get the most out of their stay with us, including where to visit on their journeys to and from us.
Bargany is a favourite:

The boathouse


Glenwhan celebrates being open for 30 years next Sunday with a hog roast and special tour of the garden
www.glenwhangardens.co.uk . Castle Kennedy Gardens, famous for its huge display of ancient rhododendrons and exotic shrubs, and Logan Botanical Gardens are thrilling with their displays of trillions, meconopsis and rare plants. Many gardens are just open on certain days and details of these can be found in Scotland Garden Scheme www.gardensofscotland.org

Wisteria growing round the kitchen window


The perfect Garden Lovers Holiday (very romantic locations!)

The gardening year and home grown vegetables

Wednesday, January 27th, 2010

The first seeds of the year are in the proporgator. Tomatoes are the first – lots of unusual varieties such as Tomato Roma, Tomato Sungold, Tomato Green Zebra, Tomato Costoluto Genovese, Tomato Orange Santa,  Tomato Black Krim, Tomato Pink Brandywine, Tomato Gardeners Delight, Tomato Yellow Pear and the old favourite Shirley.
Sweet Pea Spencer Waved Mixed,  Sweet Pea Cupid Mixed All Things Nice,
Sweet Pea Heirloom Mixed and Sweet Pea Purfume Delight. I also planted Broad Bean Stereo in pots.