Spring Observations at Granton Castle Walled Garden
Spring is gently waking the garden, and Ingsay has been out exploring, noticing the small but wonderful signs of life returning. Here are some of her latest discoveries from the garden as it stirs into the new season.
Perennial Cabbage
This plant is a perennial cabbage with variegated leaves. It’s tasty and more delicate than regular cabbage with a heart. You can make more plants by just sticking a shoot in the ground. A lovely, sustainable addition to our garden!
Plum Stones and Voles
I came across some scattered plum stones from our autumn crop. A hungry vole has been nibbling away the hard shells to get at the nutritious seeds inside. It’s such a treat to see one of our wee rodents; they are very cute.
Corsican Hellebore
One plant that’s really bursting into life is the Corsican hellebore, a big toughie that thrives behind the low wall of the herbaceous border. Its shiny green leaves with a stylish serrated edge are so leathery they might make shoes! The many creamy flowers hang face down to keep the stamens dry for pollinators. Pollinators? In this weather?
Pied Wagtails
I’ve been smiling at the gallant pied wagtails who know how to find insects and seeds. To keep warm, they form large winter roosts. Imagine finding one of those!
Moss on the Path
A beautiful patch of bright green moss has grown on the concrete path at the west end of the herbaceous border. It has a good chance of surviving in this shady spot where there’s not much footfall. Robin Wall Kimmerer’s amazing book “Gathering Moss” explains how mosses capture and manage water in structures that would impress the greatest engineer. It’s only thanks to the electron microscope that these wonders are visible.
Ingsay Balfour