Logie House originates from the seventeenth century since when it has evolved and grown. Similarly the garden has changed over the centuries. In the early twentieth century there was a formal flower garden with a small private golf course on the big lawn and on the slopes down towards the river. Until 1991 the traditional walled garden had a large area for vegetable growing, many formal clipped hedges of yew and box, small lawns, large herbaceous borders and annual planting. Most of what you see now has been planted since then when the decision was made to grow more shrubs, trees and perennials with year-round interest. Local designer and plantsman, Gavin Dallmeyer, led this first phase and was also very instrumental in Phase 2 which started in 2010 when the decision was made to make the garden more of a woodland garden. The burn was opened up and the woodland planting was extended into a larger area allowing for the introduction of many interesting and unusual plants into different areas to suit their preferences. Ewen Manson built the drystane walls and bridges, and Ronald Grant of Gervally moved tons of earth and stone: starting with his huge machinery and ending up with a small rake for precision.
Every year new plants are sourced and trialled in the garden. If and when they prove their worth many of them are then propagated for sale in the Farm & Garden Shop
As members of the Hardy Plant Society we are able to benefit from the extensive seed list from which we have grown many unusual plants. The Hardy Plant Society has members all over the world – for Scottish members there is a very active Northern Group which arranges talks and visits throughout the year, as well as producing interesting publications – it is well worth being a member.
Plant Heritage (also known as the National Council for the Conservation of Plants and Gardens) work hard to protect and conserve, grow, propagate, document and make available the amazing resource of garden plants that exists in the UK. The main conservation vehicle is the National Plant Collections whereby individuals or organisations undertake to document, develop and preserve a comprehensive collection of one group of plants in trust for the future. Most of the collections are based around a related group, for example a collection of oaks or daffodils. This allows the scheme to develop systematic coverage of cultivated plants in the United Kingdom. Plant Heritage has local Groups who run activities and events for members across the country: see Grampian and Tayside for more information. Another organisation it is worth joining!
Panny Laing is the driving force behind Logie House Garden and the way it looks today is, at its core, down to her vision and ongoing hard work.
When exploring the garden, you may well stumble upon Panny deep in a flower bed, where she spends as much time as possible. Panny is ably assisted, albeit on a very part-time basis, by Jane Spoor and Martin Allen, Ewen Manson and Craig MacDonald …. and the Armadillo!
Entry
The garden is a short walk from the Logie Steading car park; there are a couple of disabled car parking spaces near the garden gate
Admission is £4 (children are free). There is an honesty box at the gate and also a QR code for paying by smartphone. If all else fails please pay at the Farm and Garden Shop.
HHA members – please enjoy the garden and then register your names in the Farm & Garden Shop
Friends Scheme
Logie House Gardens Friends Scheme is popular with local visitors. Membership lasts for 12 months from the date of purchase and gives
Other Gardens to Visit
Find other gardens to visit at Discover Scottish Gardens
Magazine Article about the garden
Logie House garden was featured in the November 2021 edition of The English Garden written by Julia Watson with wonderful photographs by Ray Cox
Sustainability
We can all make a difference to the environment with easy tasks high-lighted by the RHS – see ’10 ways to be more sustainable in your garden’
Many of the plants for sale in Logie Steading Farm & Garden Shop are propagated from plants growing in the garden. This allows us to learn more about the plants, and their suitability for different growing conditions. You will see the potting sheds and tunnels at the bottom of the garden. We specialise in hardy plants and the conditions of our own garden certainly help us determine their suitability!
While we aren’t able to accommodate large coach parties without prior warning, if you would like to arrange a group garden visit please contact Panny Laing directly. A guided tour can usually be arranged.
01309 611278
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
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