How it started
We moved here to Dumfries & Galloway in 2004, with two removal lorries of plants from Surrey, many of which were Hostas and one of our own goods and chattles! The Garden of about 1.2 acres, we must confess was the biggest attraction, however the house itself is a fine example of a Scots Baronial Lodge designed by Peddie & Kinnear architects, 1865-6.
Development of the Garden at Newtonairds
In essence we started with a blank canvas although, we were fortunate to have a wooded bank area which was immediately ear marked for Hosta
territory! The bank was 'very natural' shall we say, so this had to be cleared before any plantings were made. The lower garden had a large lawn area with small greenhouse, a vegetable patch, a couple of small beds, some rhodedendrons and fruit trees. We cut some of the rhodedendrons back and some we trimmed the lower branches to allow underneath plantings of herbaceous perennials. Over time, James dug out by hand numerous beds and borders both for Hostas (mostly on the top and face of the wooded bank) and for an ever expanding mix of hardy perennials, grasses, bamboo and topiary in the lower garden, which has been designed by Carol. The Hosta Collection acquired full status in 2011 and currently consists of 117 different hybrids and cultivars which all have fragrant flowers, between July and August (summer temperatures permitting!) a bonus for a plant largely grown for its foliage. What we do.
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