July 2009

Well I suggested warm weather was due( because the BBC said so!) but I rarely believe the forecasters and warm weather didn’t arrive....it has been wet and miserable for weeks.

Grass has grown vigorously and everything looks lush but we really could do with some heat. The tall plants are struggling to keep their heads up under the constant battering from rain and wind but ,surprisingly, the borders look well and colour is all around. Montbretia,anthemis,leocanthemum,inula,sea holly and various lilies are all out in their full glory and the roses....are trying their best.

Roe deer are very territorial animals especially around this time of year when their “rut” is underway. We are lucky at the Palace to have an established family of doe,calves and a buck which offer guests close-up views of these lovely animals. However every so often one goes beyond the limits and has to be dealt with. Our rose beds on the main stairway virtually disappeared overnight, stripped bare of buds and leaves and the culprit was a yearling buck which brings us back to being territorial. A mature buck will not tolerate a young male within his patch,during the rut, and these youngsters are hounded mercilessly sometimes to the point of being killed. So the only refuge they can find is often very close to human habitation, where the main buck might not venture, and they sneak out to feed when they can. So we will continue to have our family of roe deer in the grounds but there are limits and occasionally they are breached.

Sunday August 2nd is Pitlochry “Secret Garden Day” when many of the town’s gardens are open to the public. It’s a good chance to see a wide variety of gardens, some of which are only open on this day, and the Palace is included as one of the gardens on show. Nibbles and Pimms are available in a marquee at the tennis court at the Palace so why not come along and enjoy the day......and hope that we are blessed with sunshine. Innes

Garden Gallery