Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
General Subjects => Travel / Places to Visit => Topic started by: Maggi Young on March 29, 2017, 04:19:31 PM
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A number of SRGC members have their gardens open for the Scotlands Gardens Scheme - read here for all details (http://www.scotlandsgardens.org/)
One such garden is the Ayrshire garden of Sue Simpson and George Watt - Burnside, Littlemill Road, Drongan
KA6 7EN (http://www.scotlandsgardens.org/gardens/garden/65c69783-5d5c-4bea-b095-a2c4012928b3)
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This young six and a half acre garden was started in 2006. There is a wide range of plants from trees to alpines. Features include a 200 yard woodland border along the burn, herbaceous beds, screes, an ericaceous garden, three alpine houses, a collection of alpine troughs and a pond. The informal arboretum is underplanted with groups of daffodils, camassia and fritillaries.
Sue and George are well-known in the SRGC and AGS in the north of England, where Sue is a successful exhibitor of alpines at the Shows. George contributed a recent article on his young Quercus arboretum to the IRG (International Rock Gardener) free e-magazine of February 2017 . You can read that article HERE (http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2017Feb231487875287IRG_86.pdf)
Directions
From A77 Ayr bypass take A70 Cumnock for 5¼ miles, at Coalhall, turn onto B730 Drongan (south) for 2½ miles. Burnside entrance immediately adjacent before black/white parapeted bridge. Ordnance Survey grid reference: NS455162
Garden Openings
By arrangement 1 April - 31 August
Admissions: £4.00, accompanied children free
Beneficiaries : Alzheimers Scotland receives 40%, the net remaining to SG Beneficiaries
Disabled Access Dogs Allowed
Other Details: Dogs on a lead please. Teas and light refreshments by prior arrangement.
Contact
Sue Simpson and George Watt
Burnside
Littlemill Road, Drongan
KA6 7EN
Call 01292 592445
As well as their outside plantings, which include the arboretum and lovely beds and rock gardens, Sue and George are well-equipped with workshop and alpine house/glasshouse space ....
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Burnside in snow - earlier this year
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The Burnside - with snowdrops
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the rock garden comes alive
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Meconopsis at Burnside will soon be looking like this
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rock garden bed
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Dionysias remaining after what Sue describes as a "hopeless winter"
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Hepatica japonica at a show - this plant was a gift from George to Sue a couple of years ago - she is growing it to perfection.
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A winning six-pan from Sue at he SRGC Kincardine Show 2017
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Some shots from the alpine houses - one of which includes a planted tufa wall
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more from the immaculately kept alpine houses, with their very fine plants!
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George today - speaking to a visiting group of students from Threave College