Granton Castle Walled Garden Newsletter
Welcome
Dear Subscribers
Welcome to the newly revived Friends of Granton Castle Walled Newsletter. You are receiving this email because you either subscribed recently or several years ago, when we last published a newsletter.
While many of you follow us on Facebook and Instagram, we felt it was time to return to a space that’s more personal, independent, and accessible to everyone - free from algorithms and social media limits. This newsletter will bring you seasonal updates from the garden, glimpses of the wildlife and plants within the walls, news from our volunteers and social enterprises on site, and from time to time, a longer reflection to linger over.
We had so many wonderful contributions this month that some will appear in future newsletters, so you can look forward to hearing a variety of voices from the community over the coming seasons.
If you would rather not receive these updates, you can unsubscribe at the bottom of this email. Otherwise, we’re delighted to have you with us, and we hope you enjoy reading.
Garden Updates
Kitchen Garden News
Our kitchen garden thrives thanks to the care of dedicated volunteers such as Julia who has been generously lending her skills and knowledge here for many years.
Julia reports that it’s been a mixed summer in the Kitchen Garden. Courgettes, beans, and carrots thrived despite the heat, while peas and broad beans struggled. There was an abundance of fruit - strawberries, raspberries, and currants to share - and even the apricot tree gave a bumper crop.
👉 Read Julia’s full update here
Wildlife and Plants
Two of our trustees, Ingsay and Isla, share their observations this month, offering a closer look at the wildlife and plants that enrich our the inside of our walls.
What is this?
Lots of these rather striking 1cm larvae are around just now. I saw three on the lid of a bin in Granton Garden. They will pupate and emerge as ladybirds, then spend the winter asleep.
- Ingsay Balfour
An Interesting plant found at the Walled Garden
Since 2019, a record of wild plants found in the garden has been maintained, as it was considered a good idea to try to ensure that species are not lost as a result of our activities. An interesting plant found in 2019 in the 1922 greenhouse base was a rather pretty little member of the Asteraceae, Galinsoga quadriradicata, commonly known as Shaggy Soldier. It is hairy, unlike Galinsoga parviflora (Gallant Soldier), which looks similar. Shaggy Soldier is a native of Mexico and Central America and arrived in the UK about 100 years ago, spreading rapidly in England, though less so in Scotland.
Thankfully the plant is still present in the garden and guess what...it is edible! The leaves, stem and flowering shoots can be eaten raw or cooked. A few plants have been moved to the Forest Garden where hopefully they will self-seed. Let’s taste it next year!
- Isla Browning
Community
From the Flower Farmers
Our friends at Ochre Botanical Studios have had a busy summer as wedding florists. Alongside hosting a buttonhole workshop in the garden, they’ve been bringing seasonal colour and scent to weddings and events across the city. As autumn arrives, they celebrate the golden, russet, and caramel tones of the season.
👉 Read their full update here
Mycobee Mushrooms at the Garden
Since summer 2023, Mycobee Mushrooms CIC has made their home at Granton Castle Walled Garden, creating a thriving “mushroom corner” and delivering dozens of fungi workshops for the community. Founders Bea and Mario bring deep knowledge and passion for all things fungal - from gourmet growing to composting, soil health, and wild foraging.
We’ll feature their full story in our next newsletter, but in the meantime, you can catch them in action at our autumn workshops (see the events list below).
Events & What’s Next
10 October: Wild Fungi Foraging Secrets with Mycobee Mushrooms (FULLY BOOKED)
17 October: Community Mushroom Farming with Mycobee Mushrooms
24 October: MycoKids with Mycobee Mushrooms
31 October: Functional Fungi - Freaky Fungi Halloween with Mycobee Mushrooms
Up-to-date events: 👉 GCWG Events Page
Spotlight
Autumn in the Garden
The Long Read
Autumn is finally here, and the signs of it are all over the garden. Our longstanding regular volunteer Ian Young has captured the spirit of the garden in autumn.
Autumn in the Garden
‘Where are the songs of spring? Ay, Where are they?’ (Keats, ‘To Autumn’)
Well, we sang them in frigid January, at our wassailing event, to bless the fruit trees and keep the evil spirits at bay. We hung toast from the trees and poured apple juice and cider onto roots.
Did it work? It must have, as the apple trees in the orchard are bursting with fruitfulness now: a stunning variety of size and colour.
👉 Read Ian’s full autumn reflection here.
His piece captures the glow of autumn in the garden in a way that will make you want to visit straight away.
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
Thank you for supporting Granton Castle Walled Garden. We look forward to welcoming you through the gates soon.🌻
