Return to Geilston Gardens

Geilston Gardens Cardross - another visit!

Another great day out from Appletree Cottage

Sunflower at Geilston

We visited the fantastic Geilston Gardens (pronounced Jeelston) at Cardross in June and having been hugely impressed by the colour and variety of these gardens which are run by the National Trust for Scotland and with the help of a few professionals are tended by a group of volunteers.
During our last visit (see our blog of 20th June 2019) we admired the planting of the vegetable garden.  Everything in neat rows but all fruits and vegetables at an early stage.  We were looking forward to see how they'd grown in three months.
We were also intrigued by the wild flower meadow strips which although planted had at that time in June showed no sign of life.

Wild flower meadow strip

Entering the vegetable garden and orchard section of the gardens the first thing that took our attention was the wild flower meadow strip.  This had been a strip of bare earth showing little sign of life when we were last here.  Now a profusion of colour and variety. The photo here does not really do it justice.

Perfect Vegetables

The gardeners of Geilston certainly know their stuff.  The vegetable garden planted in immaculate rows earlier in the year were now nearing readiness.  

Part of the vegetable garden at Geilston Gardens

Redcurrant bushes - there was a huge variety of netted fruit bushes

​The plants all looked great - particularly given the long hot dry spell we had just had.
​After inspecting all the varieties of vegetable we went on to look at the vast array of netted fruit bushes.  Everything from raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, Logan berries and many more.
It was tempting to try to sneak a taste of some of these beautiful looking berries - but no need - Geilston sells punnets of fruit and vegetables when they come into season at the entrance gates to the gardens.
After having explored just about everything, we made our way down the path through a cavalcade of coloured borders to the apple orchard

Path and borders on walk down to the apple orchard

Everything is beautifully kept

Stunning displays abound

This is the perfect time of year to visit

Geilston Gardens Apple Orchard

As we run a large apple orchard at Shandon Farm and Appletree Cottage Croftamie, we were able to appreciate the excellent condition in which the trees were kept at Geilston.  Nice rounded trees with unblemished fruits

Katy variety apple trees thrive in Geilston Gardens orchard

After the vegetable garden and the orchard, we took a brief trip to the glass house where many varieties of ripening tomatoes gave off a delicious scent.  There again we saw a plant which has fascinated me since I first saw it at Geilston.  Reminiscent of the flora in the film The Lorax​ these intriguing succulents are named Aeonium...

Aeonium Flower in dark purple

Aeonium Flower has different colours

The stunningly architectural Aeonium Flower

Soon it was time to go and make the half hour journey back to Appletree luxury self-catering cottage in Croftamie with happy memories of our day out at Geilston Gardens

Beautiful blooms attract bees

Vivid borders

Stunning colours