A year in the garden

Open at weekends only. See the stark beauty of winter in the garden and enjoy long winter walks and warming up with hot chocolate from the coffee bar.

Open at weekends only. The trees may be bare and the days are shorter, but bring the dog for long walks through the grounds.

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The garden starts to wake from its winter sleep. Scillas will be flowering and colour will be creeping into the spring bedding displays. Early daffodils begin to show. On the way to Tay Bridge see colourful stemmed and winter flowering shrubs.

Spring bedding is in full flower. The parterre is a mix of tulips and polyanthus in red and gold. The Aviary shows a display of white polyanthus and tulips. A mixture of Narcissus ‘Tresamble’, white bellis and blue myosotis fill the beds along the Avenue. Elsewhere is a profusion of wallflowers, primroses and polyanthus. Daffodil Valley, Tay Bridge and Tulip Patch will be full of daffodils.

Cascade Bank looks good with spring flowering shrubs. Late May is our bedding changeover when the ornamental beds will be planted with summer bedding. Other parts of the garden will show colour from Bluebells and Lily of the Valley. The trees will begin to burst into leaf.

The Parterre will be planted with pink begonias, blue ageratum and red and blue petunias. The carpet bedding design is inspired by our summer exhibition Creatures and Creations: art by Platon H and designs by Mary Katrantzou inspired by Rothschild species. Flowers and scent will fill the Rose garden.

The ornamental beds will be looking their best during the summer months of July and August, and the water plants and marginals in Frog Fountain will also be looking good.

The bedding in Tropical Mound and the Bachelors’ Wing will still be looking good. Autumn crocus, Colchium speciosum ‘Album’ will be in full flower on the Parterre. In late September conkers begin to fall from our Horse Chestnut trees.

Winter bedding changeover begins, we pull out the summer plants and put in spring bulbs and flowering plants. The trees will change to deep, magnificent golden hues.

The garden hibernates for winter. Variegated hollies and evergreen shrubs give the garden depth while winter flowering shrubs give Tay Bridge and the Winter Garden colour. Christmas trees and light sculpture end our year in the garden.