The Highlands
Just came back from our hols at Loch ness. We were expecting it to be very touristy but it wasn't, we had the most amazing time and fell in love with the place.
Our friend who we visited up there in Foyers said it snows for 6 months of the year and it's very hard to plant a garden there as the soil is very poor, rocky and shallow.
We could see how shallow it was as trees tend to come down very easily during storms.
I'm wondering how you garden in conditions like that, we are planning to spend more time up there in a couple of years as we can both work from home so can pretty much live anywhere.
I suppose raised beds are an option for shrubs, are there any Highland people on here who have successfully managed to plant a nice garden?
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raised beds or terracing if you have a sloping site, either that or you plant to the conditions, low shrubs, no tall trees
Across the Loch, opposite side to Foyers, there is an excellent garden and nursery. . . all terraced. I've only seen it on TV a few times and in garden magazines. I will try to get the name for you.
Lou12.. google abriachangardensnursery
Thank you Joyce - I've just saved that to my web bookmarks - a definite visit when we next go to Scotland
it snows for 6 months at loch ness? Are your friends having you on? I think you should give Ski Scotland a ring and tell them they are missing a trick!
Snow can fall in the highlands at any time between October and May. It was snowing heavily in the Cairngorms last week. Obviously, at lower levels there's less, but that doesn't mean it doesn't fall. Soil conditions will vary from area to area, as they do anywhere else too.
Working with the conditions you have is important. Frilly, fussy plants are out unless you create a micro climate, but the biggest issue in a large part of Scotland is the shorter season - it takes longer for spring to arrive, so soil is wet and cold for a long time, and winter comes in October . Temperatures stay low for a long time, and night time temps in particular mean that some plants will do less well simply because they don't get prolonged warmth, even in summer.
It's pretty much trial and error in the north, but that doesn't mean you can't create a nice garden.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...