Nov/Dec

Autumn colour did last well, benefiting from an unusually mild back-end, but as Christmas approaches severe frost has arrived and we have had several days when the maximum temp. hasn’t got above minus 4deg.

Very low temperatures can affect the less hardy plants but for the garden as a whole it is hugely beneficial. It puts the plants properly into season, sends them into winter-mode and basically gives them a rest, to restore their strength and re-emerge stronger and healthier next spring. It also has the great benefit of killing off many bugs which would otherwise over-winter and multiply to cause trouble in the following year. We have been off buying trees for the Japanese garden, the final push before standing back and seeing how it all works out. The various forms of Japanese cherry were high on our list as were some acers and one or two other “special trees” which we hope will draw the eye with their beauty. The trees we bought are semi-mature, perhaps 20ft tall, and they will require a substantial hole for planting. They will also need an irrigation system to tide them through their first summer but we hope that the overall effect will mean that it was all worth the cost and the effort.

Now that fox….. I am indebted to Liz Macdonald from Argyllshire. Liz saw the short verse I had written and sent me the full,correct version. It was written by Helen Cruikshank in the east coast dialect which I remember hearing as a child on my father’s farm.

An fat will licht you when the mirk comes on
An the gloamin licht dees oot
I’ll seek the mune and I’ll lay me doon
Fan the hootlets begin tae hoot.
An fat wull ye dae fan the reid fox rins
An shuffles aboot yer heid?
The fox is my brither as weel he kens
I hae nae need tae dreid.

Happy Christmas and a good 2008 to you all from the Kenny and myself and we hope to meet and chat to some of you in the grounds next year. Innes

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