Lockdown castle life for Edith
on my own I managed to get the weeding done really quickly. I just hoed and let the sun shrivel up the weeds, but once we got the wet spell in June it took off again and the weeds were growing faster than I could get round them so I am glad to have some help back in the garden.”
The mammoth task of cutting the box hedge alone will take six weeks as there’s 11 miles of it.
Edith has been working in the garden for 38 years. There isn’t a corner of the garden she hasn’t dealt with, although the work has taken its toll on her back and knees.
She continued: “I love my job and strangely enough having to go back to basics, instead of managing and doing paperwork, has been great.
“There was a garden out there shouting out for my help so it was nice to go back to doing jobs that I started out doing as a trainee.”
As Edith surveyed the formal parterre section of the gardens from the terrace steps, she added: “At the start of lockdown I was thinking I’m all on my own to do all the work but, looking down on it all right now, it’s quite satisfying to see I’ve managed to keep it looking reasonable.
“There are areas I haven’t managed to get to but the team is back now and we will get there.”
On Sunday, August 2, a Virtual Charity Open Day video clip will be aired on the Drummond Castle Gardens Facebook page.
Edith will be going live on the page for a tour and Q&A from 2pm the following day.
There will also be activity on the Discover Scottish Gardens Instagram page.
• See next week’s Herald for more pictures.