August 2011

We joined in the National Butterfly Survey in August and the results were interesting,to say the least.

In an average year we would expect to see large numbers of migrant butterflies like Painted Lady,Peacock and Red Admiral along with our more local ones such as the Orange tip, Green veined White and Tortoiseshell. Well the two week survey, we did, turned up one butterfly, a lonely Green Veined White.It’s not a disaster but it does show how unusual a season we have had and the garden,on a warm day, seems to be missing an essential component of summer when the butterflies don’t appear.
In the vegetable plot the stars of the month have been the peas. We haven’t grown peas before so I thought I’d give them a go this year. They were hugely successful with a whole variety of guests and directors!! enjoying freshly picked garden pea pods.....just like memories of childhood. Spinach, turnips, beans and carrots have also made a late burst of growth probably due to the short heatwave we had in late July.
The cut flower bed finally blossomed with gladioli putting on a fantastic show. We have brilliant white,plum and dark purple varieties and they look wonderfully well both insitu and as cut-flowers in the hotel. The dahlias,on the other hand, have been a disaster and have hardly developed at all.

Pitlochry Angling Club used to use the Mirror Pond(on the right of the driveway as you approach the Palace) to grow on hatchery-reared fry. When that became unnecessary the pond lay empty of fish for a year or so. However I, and a few guests, caught some small trout out of Piper’s Pond in the last few years and transferred them over. When we part-drained the pond recently, for inspection, it became obvious that the trout had grown. Some seem to be nearly 2lbs....amazing what some food and a bit of space can do to a wee burn trout! Autumn is coming and already some of the early trees are turning....how time flies. Innes

Garden Gallery