This is a busy time of year in the garden, but it would be a pity to get so caught up in chores on your own plot that you missed out on what’s going on in other gardens because the greatest show of the year is about to get underway.

From rhododendrons and camellias to the confetti-like blossom of cherry trees, our gardens are at their most beautiful at the moment. And with the Celebration of Scottish Spring Gardens running throughout April and May as well as a host of private gardens opening up for Scotland’s Gardens Scheme, there is no excuse not to explore some of this country’s gems. So here’s some ideas about where you can find the best of the bunch.

Scottish Gardener:

Abriachan Nurseries 
Kilianan, Loch Ness, Inverness IV3 8LA
www.lochnessgarden.com
Open daily - 9am- 7pm

This long-established nursery on the shores of Loch Ness is set amongst woodland gardens that in spring are filled with gem-like blooms. Amongst the nursery’s best features is its large collection of auriculas. These Himalayan primulas sparked a long-lasting mania that stretched from the 18th century until the Victorian era and now these highly-decorative and extremely hardy plants have become fashionable again, with collectors choosing to display them in auricula ‘theatres’ where plants are arranged in individual pots to best show off their petals.

Scottish Gardener:

Ardkinglas Woodland Garden
Cairndow, Argyll PA26 8BH
Www.ardkinglas.com
Open daily - dawn to dusk

Everything at Ardkinglas is on a giant scale, from the scented rhododendrons and the towering conifers to the bluebells that spread out in huge sheets in May. Close to the house perfumed azaleas flourish in the ‘Ladies’ Garden’ and in spring the fresh green croziers of ferns are unfurling beneath the trees. A Fairy Trail and a Gruffalo walk offer excitement for young visitors.

 

Cally Gardens
Cally Avenye, Gatehouse of Fleet DG7 2DJ
Www.Caley gardens.co.uk
Open Wednesday - Sunday, 10am - 5pm

Set within the high walls that were built in the 18th century lies one of Scotland’s most exciting nurseries and a treasure-packed garden. This is the place to find rare and exotic hardy plants and to be inspired by the wildlife-friendly principles that have seen biodiversity increase significantly in recent years. Owner Kevin Hughes is an ecologist and environmentalist who has brought a wealth of experience to the garden, along with some fine collections of magnolias and trillums that are followed later in spring by meconopsis and peonies.

Scottish Gardener:

Dundonnell House
Little Loch Broom, Wester Ross IV23 2QW
www.scotlandsgardens.org
Open Thursday, 21 April - 2pm - 5pm and by arrangement.

Flowering shrubs and a profusion of bulbs provide seasonal interest in this exciting garden, which is home to one of the oldest yew trees in Scotland. Recently a new water feature has been added and the Victorian glasshouses have been restored. Primroses, violets and wood anemones grow in areas that have been fenced off from deer and jewel-like alpine plantings make a contrast with the towering trees and the huge landscape that surrounds the estate.

Scottish Gardener:

Geilston Garden
Cardross, Dumbarton G82 5HD
Www.nts.org
Open daily - 10am - 5pm

Geilston is typical of the many small estates that once lay along the banks of the Clyde. It has a huge and productive vegetable garden, from where produce is sold in summer, and a walled garden with its original greenhouses and herbaceous plantings. But it is from the potting shed, built into the walls, that the real magic of Geilston reveals itself. From here a window opens onto a secret glade, where in spring the banks of a tumbling burn are carpeted in primroses and other wild flowers. 

Scottish Gardener:

Glenarn Gardens
Glenarn Road, Rhu G84 8LL
www.gardens-of-argyll.co.uk
Open daily - dawn to dusk

Overlooking the Gareloch near Helensburgh is one of Scotland’s best collections of large-leaf rhododendrons, many of them collected by famous Edwardian plant hunters, including Frank Kingdon-Ward.  Huge magnolias grow here too on the garden’s south-facing slope, which in spring is carpeted with bulbs. Primulas grow on the upper levels, while the Glenarn Burn tumbles into ponds at the bottom of the hill.

 

Kevock Garden
16 Kevock Road, Lasswade EH18 1HT
Www.scotlandsgardens.org
Open Sunday 10 April - 11am - 5pm

This spectacular garden, which occupies a steeply-sloping site, was created by professional horticulturists with a clutch of RHS Chelsea gold medals to their name. Amongst many unusual plants from around the world, it is the primulas and meconopsis that stand out in spring. Rhododendrons and azaleas provide colour and scent and a new rock garden is home to many Alpine species.

 

FESTIVAL SPIRIT
A Celebration of Scottish Spring Gardens is a national festival that runs from 1 April until 31 May, when gardens across the country will be inviting visitors to enjoy glorious displays of magnolias, rhododendrons, primulas, meconopsis, cherry blossom and a host of other spring-flowering bulbs, flowers, shrubs and trees.

Find out more at www.discoverscottishgardens.org