Seasons in the Garden
Kelburn’s garden and grounds have evolved over time and show the horticultural interests of the various Earls and Countesses of Glasgow.
There is colour in our garden almost all year round with rhododendrons, an assortment of shrubs and herbaceous plants, and stunning magnolias and cherry blossom.
Our garden is the perfect spot to relax and unwind.
Some Rhododendrons flower in winter. The earliest, Nobeanum, begins in November and continues into the New Year, when Christmas Cheer with its pink flowers takes over. In February and March, Moupinense, Cipinense and Thomsonii with sea green leaves and blood red flowers continue to brighten the winter months.
By late January, a sea of snow drops cover the banks of the burn, at Sanhams Bridge. And by the end of March, wild daffodils begin to dominate the landscape, followed by Wild Garlic with its unmistakable scent and mass of strong white flowers.
The Rhododendrun Loderi, Fragrantissimum, with strongly perfumed white flowers, the wonderful Pieris with scarlet bracts, and the Lily of the Valley flowers. are particularly attractive.
Striking too is the Embothrium (Chilean Fire Bush) with its brilliant scarlet flowers, and Crinodendron Hookerianum with glowing crimson lanterns, hanging thickly along its branches.
July, August and September bring the herbaceous borders in the Plaisance into full flower. Many fascinating plants bloom, including the wonderful Eucryphia Glutinosa, native to Chile, and Hoheria Glabrata – a deciduous tree from New Zealand which hosts a mass of fragrant, almost translucent white flowers.
Weinmannia Trichosperma is a very attractive South American shrub with pinnate, fern like leaves. The white flowers which bloom in the summer are followed by small, copper-red seed vessels.
While the Plaisance is well manicured and offers a selection of exotic plants, a more native and natural approach is being taken elsewhere in the grounds, with the team creating the ‘Wildflower Meadow’ and adding more ground and canopy species to the woodland. Learn more here.
