The walled garden underwent major restructuring between 2009 and 2012. The formal planting schemes were replaced with more trees, shrubs and woodland plants creating a more relaxed atmosphere.
Having been closed from autumn 2009, the Gardens at Logie finally re-opened – on Thursday 21st June, 2012 – in time for the longest day. They are open every day, even when the Steading is closed.
We closed the garden at the end of summer 2009. What followed has been fairly major relandscaping. Ronald Grant and his huge diggers shifted hundreds of tons of topsoil out onto the big lawn in front of Logie House so that he could shape the bed of the burn; he shifted tons of stone into the garden to give it some new structure. The burn that used to be piped under the garden now flows from one side to the other. Ewen Manson built the most wonderful drystane dykes and bridges that already look as if they have been there for years. Gavin Dallmeyer gave wise help and advice from the start of the project through to the planting. We had to contend with the two challenging winters of 09/10 and 10/11 during which we were not able to do anything but gaze at the white landscape followed by wet unmanageable ground conditions – we had hoped to have been able to re-open in 2011 but that idea soon became unrealistic but in 2013 the gardens were finally ready to welcome visitors once more.
Well over 2,000 plants were planted and during the past few years since, the garden has begun to mature. It is a very different place to how it was – it is calmer and more relaxed and, hopefully, more interesting – and we have taken the opportunity to plant lots of unusual plants in the various different conditions that have been created. Rockdust and mulch (compost, leafmould, woodchips) are helping the soil regain its natural balance after all the disturbance.
There is still a lot to do but maybe a garden is never really finished.
Panny Laing