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GREAT GARDENS: Milling around at Nethy

Pond in woodland garden with plants including Alchemilla mollis (lady's mantle), Lysichiton americanus (Skunk cabbage), Salix cv (willow), Primula cv and Iris cv
Pond in woodland garden with plants including Alchemilla mollis (lady's mantle), Lysichiton americanus (Skunk cabbage), Salix cv (willow), Primula cv and Iris cv

Craigmore Mill garden is just outside the village of Nethybridge, Speyside.

After converting an old meal mill into a home in the mid-70s, Harry and Chris Jamieson turned their attention to the surrounding terrain.

The house sits in nearly half an acre of land, mostly sloping towards the east and the Aultmore Burn, and surrounded by Scots pine, silver birch and rowan trees.

A pond was created very early on, fed by water from the burn where a wide range of bog plants and candelabra primulas thrive.

Living at 700ft and close to the Cairngorms gives a short growing season and very cold winters some years, but most damaging on new growth are the late-spring frosts and the chilly east winds.

Herbaceous plants and deciduous shrubs are the backbone of the garden, with a few conifers, hollies, hellebores and heathers for winter colour.

The ground is very stony, a reminder of glacial activity.

Boulders and stones have been used in rockeries, retaining walls, steps and a seat.

The soil is sandy, acidic and very free draining, needing the frequent addition of homemade compost and leaf mould.

This creates ideal growing conditions for primulas, celmisias, incarvillea, meconopsis, trilliums, autumn gentians, veratrum and many hostas.

Pride of place goes to a clump of handy purple orchids, dactylorhiza, flowering in June.

Among the flowers which attract lots of bumble bees, hoverflies and butterflies is a productive small fruit and vegetable patch.

Frequent wildlife visitors are red squirrels, great spotted woodpeckers, long-tailed tits and many others, but there are plenty of humans who like it there, too, such as the Beechgrove Garden team, who visited in June 2011.

On the open day, which takes place on Sunday, June 22, there will be a small plant stall and the opportunity to visit the fishing rod workshop.

Harry is a master rod builder with a royal warrant from The Prince of Wales.

Although retired, he still likes to potter, repair and refurbish old rods.

 

FACTBOX:

  • Where: Craigmore Mill near Nethybridge. From the A9 take the B970 to Boat of Garten then Nethybridge. Over humpback bridge, turn right before Nethybridge Hotel. Continue uphill on Dorbeck/Tomintoul road, over next crossroads. A minute later, there’s a sign for parking on left at Woodside. Coming from the east: near Grantown, take B970 to Nethybridge. After Nethybridge Hotel turn left (before bridge) and follow directions from Dorback/Tomintoul road as above
  • When: Sunday, June 22, from 1-5pm
  • Cost: £3.50
  • Extras: Plant stall and refreshments; dogs are allowed on a lead
  • Proceeds: Marie Curie Cancer Care receives 40%, the rest going to Scotland’s Gardens beneficiary charities