Granton Castle Walled Garden Newsletter
Welcome
Dear Subscribers
Welcome to the December Newsletter!
As the year draws to a close, we’re looking back at a season of change, growth, and connection in the garden - from spring celebrations to summer festivals and autumn harvests.
And before 2026 begins, there’s still plenty happening in the walled garden this month. Read on for highlights and a glimpse of what’s to come.
The Year In Review
Here are some of our 2025 highlights, month by month.
🍎 January: Wassailing! We sang to the orchard with Penny Stone leading the procession and enjoyed apple cakes and mulled juice.
🐦 February: For National Nest Box Week volunteers Gabby and Simon build bird boxes in the garden. 👉 Watch their video.
☕ March: Volunteers erected our long-awaited picnic
café, complete with new flooring thanks to Community Grants Fund.
🌸 April: Our programme of free events and workshops in the garden was well underway. Mushroom workshops with Mycobee Mushrooms and a flower arranging event with Ochre Botanical Studios were well-attended.
👶 May: Our head gardener, Flaviana, welcomed her baby daughter. Congratulations!
☀️ June: Midsummer Picnic magic with music by Nigel’s All Stars, cakes, flowers and sunshine.
👽 July: We left the gate open...and were visited by a mysterious creature shouting “Germinate! Germinate!”
🌻 August: We hosted R2’s summer party. It was a joyful afternoon where people from different local community projects got a chance to connect and share ideas.
🚪September: We took part in Doors Open Days. There were guided walks, fungi demos by Mycobee and dyestuff displays by The Weaving Project.
📧 October: The newsletter returned! Thanks for reading and staying connected.
💷 November: We were thrilled that a major grant will support repairs and improved access at the Walled Garden. More in the next section.
🍄 December: Mycobee turns six! Join us on 20 December to celebrate this amazing milestone.
Thank you to everyone who helped make this year so special. Here’s to more growing, learning, and connecting in 2026! 💚
Community
£2.9m heritage investment for Waterfront regeneration, including the Walled Garden!
This au
tumn brought wonderful news for the wider Granton community: a major £2.9m Heritage and Place Programme grant has been formally awarded to support the regeneration of key historic sites along the waterfront. The Walled Garden will be one of the direct beneficiaries with long-awaited repairs, improved access, and new information panels all now within reach.
Our trustee Gillean has written a detailed update on what this funding means for the garden, from restoring the 16th-century gateway to safeguarding the walls and Doocot for generations to come.
👉 Read Gillean’s full update here.
Wildlife
Our trustee Ingsay has been observing the wildlife in the garden closely. She showcases a dangerous-looking little insect this month.
What is this?
This fearsome beastie is called a Devil's Coach Horse. Here it's in characteristic threat pose with tail raised like a scorpion. It can give a painful bite. It hunts at night and eats invertebrates.
- Ingsay Balfour
Events & What’s Next
There’s still time to join one of our winter workshops before the holidays!
12 December: Community Mushroom Farming: Clearing and Preparing for Winter with Mycobee Mushrooms
14 December: Wreath-making workshop with Ochre Botanical Studios
19 December: Community Mushroom Farming: Clearing and Preparing for Winter with Mycobee Mushrooms
20 December: Functional Fungi - Mycobee’s 6th Anniversary with Mycobee Mushrooms
Up-to-date events: 👉 GCWG Events Page
Spotlight
Tough Love In The Garden
The Long Read
What happens when a garden gets a dose of “tough love”? Overgrown Buddleja threatening historic walls, storm-damaged sycamores, and a heroic team of volunteers and arborists to the rescue…
Discover how we transformed the garden, made space for new growth, and uncovered the surprising stories hiding in our trees.
👉 Read the full story by Ian here.
Visit Us
Opening hours:
Saturdays and Sundays
April - end of October: 14:00 -16:00
November - end of March: 13:00 - 15:00
Volunteer Hours & Getting Involved:
👉 Volunteer with GCWG
Your support keeps the garden blooming! Come join us in 2026 for more growing, learning, and sharing.🌿
