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KINCARDINE GARDENS 2004 Looking out from Kincardine at the wonderful scenery of Deeside it is hard to see why anyone would want to try to improve upon the natural beauty of the place. The seeming naturalness of the wider countryside is, of course, an illusion. Man has had a hand in shaping almost everything you see. That the landscape looks as wonderful as it does is a reflection of the respect, understanding and sensitivity that previous generations have had for the land. Within landscape such as this it is hard to say where the garden starts and stops. The many belts of trees that surround the fields and drives close to Kincardine are part of a designed landscape. Within them are a great variety of exotic trees. The largest specimens are firs which originate from Washington state. A magnificent Noble Fir (Abies procera) stands on the lawn and the tallest trees are Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga menziesiae). The size of these trees is best judged if you see them with someone standing at the foot of the trunk.The gardens proper consist of three main sections. The woodland garden, the lawns and park and the walled garden. The lawns set off the house splendidly and merge with the park beyond. Wild flowers grow there and the plan is to encourage more. The woodland garden is best seen from its network of grassy paths in late May or early June when it is ablaze with azaleas and rhododendrons. One of the biggest management problems within the woodland garden is actually keeping the trees at bay! Time after time we have to cut out perfectly healthy trees in order to let light fall on the ground sufficiently to sustain the azaleas and other ground floor plants. Until the early 1990s the walled garden remained a kitchen garden. Following the retirement of gardener Leslie Stephen the walled garden was let for a few years to market gardeners full of promises but low on action - with disastrous consequences.In 1996, with the walled garden rapidly reverting to wilderness, a modest scheme of restoration was put in place. We had to start from the basics - the paths had to be relaid and we have recently completed maintenance work on the wall itself. The pace of recovery has been slow limited merely by the lack of resources available to put into the project. Nevertheless it is now a wonderful place in which to spend some time. We have nurtured wild flowers as well as more cultivated varieties and the evolution of the garden into a haven has been an immense pleasure. Our own honey-bees are a recent addition (2003) and we are enjoying the sweet fruits of their labour. In viewing this garden it must not be forgotten that Kincardine is situated closer to the North Pole than is Moscow or Nain in Labrador. The good fortune we have of the temperate climate sustained by the Gulf Stream also gives us the unpredictable weather for which Scotland is well known. That gives us the wonderful greenery of our summers, mild winters and no need for air-conditioning.
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