Contact: gardengroup@eastlothianu3a.org.uk
When:
Fortnightly, Mondays 10.30 – 12.30 April – October.
Winter meetings approx. monthly.
Where:
Spring and summer events are usually visits to a member’s garden or to a public/private garden or nursery.
East Lothian u3a – Garden Group Details:
The Garden Group meets for a couple of hours on a Monday morning at 10.30 at various frequencies throughout the year.
For spring, summer and autumn events, we visit private gardens (of members or those open through the Scottish Gardens Open Scheme), public gardens or garden centres and nurseries. These visits can be in East Lothian or further afield, for example to the Borders or to Fife. These visits are generally twice a month from April to October. Gardens visited under the Scottish Gardens Open Scheme are usually the Monday after the garden has been open to the public. The charge for access is determined by the owner and is usually for a charity chosen by the owner.
Over the winter we meet less frequently, usually monthly and aim to share our own knowledge and ideas within the group by having meetings. Plants, information and questions are also exchanged throughout the year by email. We have an annual planning meeting in February when members are invited to consider and suggest gardens to be visited or speakers to be approached.
We have three members (group leaders) who provide administrative support in respect of a variety of tasks including email communications, undertaking risk assessments, and leading the annual planning process. Members take turns in organising visits or events.
Our programme of visits for 2024, 2023, 2022 & 2021 are detailed below.
2024 |
||
| Date | Garden | Location |
| 11th March | Royal Botanic Gardens | Edinburgh |
| 18th March | Workshop- Making Willow Wigwams | Amisfield Garden, Haddington |
| 15th April | Elizabeth Galt’s Garden | Haddington |
| 29th April | Stobshiel | Humbie |
| 13th May | 5 and 101 Greenbank Gardens | Edinburgh |
| 20th May | Saughton Park | Edinburgh |
| 3rd June | Tynebank, private garden of Beryl McNaughton | Spilmersford, outside Pencaitland |
| 10th June | Netherbyres | Eyemouth |
| 17th June | Bowerhouse | Dunbar |
| 24th June | Blackdykes Garden | North Berwick |
| 8th July | Portmore Gardens | Eddleston |
| 22nd July | Congleton | North Berwick |
| 5th August | 77 Kirk Brae | Edinburgh |
| 19th August | Guided tour of Walled Garden | Archerfield Estate |
| 2nd September | Longwood Gardens | Humbie |
| 16th September | Dr Neil’s Garden | Duddingston |
| 30th September | Amisfield Garden | Haddington |
| 7th October | Kailzie Gardens | Peebles |
| 21st October | Making our gardens safer and more manageable as we grow older. | TBC |
| 4th November | Talk/visit | TBC |
| 18th November | Talk on Bonsai | Dunbar Garden Centre |
2023 |
||
| Date | Garden | Location |
| 20th February | Shepherds House | Inveresk |
| 13th March | Amisfield Garden | Haddington |
| 27th March | Winton Castle | Pencaitland |
| 24th April | Humbie Dean | Humbie |
| 1st May | Redcroft | Edinburgh |
| 8th May | Greentree | Edinburgh |
| 29th May | Wemyss Castle Gardens | East of Kirkcaldy |
| 12th June | Westbank House | MacMerry |
| 19th June | 3 Gardens | Inveresk |
| 26th June | Dumfries House | Cumnock, Ayrshire |
| 10th July | The Potting Shed | Broughton, Biggar |
| 24th July | Saughton Park | Edinburgh |
| 31st July | Suntrap Garden – cancelled | Edinburgh |
| 7th August | Greywalls | Gullane |
| 21st August | Macbiehill Gardens | Near West Linton |
| 4th September | West Leas | Bonchester Bridge, near Hawick |
| 18th September | Preston Hall | Pathhead |
| 2nd October | Smeaton Nursery | East Linton |
| 16th October | Dawyck Garden | Peebles |
2022 |
||
| Date | Garden | Location |
| 21st February | Shepherd House | Inverersk |
| 4th April | Kirkton Manor | Peebles |
| 18th April | Members (Nicola McNeill)Garden | Longniddry |
| 2nd May | A Blackbird Sings | Longniddry |
| 16th May | Japanese Gardens | Dollar |
| 30th May | Congalton House | North Berwick |
| 13th June | Glassmount House | Fife |
| 27th June | Purvesholm | Gullane |
| 11th July | Carolside | Earlston |
| 25th July | Stobsheil | Humbie |
| 8th August | Dr Wylie’s Garden | Stenton |
| 22nd August | Maidendew | Dunbar |
| 19th September | Hunter’s Tryst | Edinburgh |
| 3rd October | Whitburgh House | Pathhead |
2121 |
||
| Date | Garden | Location |
| 24th May | Dr Neils Garden | Duddingston |
| 7th June | Hopefield | Gladsmuir |
| 21st June | Broadwoodside | Gifford |
| 5th July | Abbotsford | Melrose |
| 19th July | Kevoch Garden | Lasswade |
| 2nd August | Monteviot | Jedburgh |
| 16th August | Bellhaven | Dunbar |
| 30th August | Kailzie | Peebles |
| 13th September | Stable House | St Boswells |
| 27th September | 95 Oxgangs Road | Hunter’s Tryst |
| 11th October | Harmony/Priorwood | Melrose |