Gardening from the heart

Dunvorist Cottage is a small rural garden that shows what can be achieved with a lot of hard work and enthusiasm

Dunvorist Cottage is a small rural garden in Kingennie, east of Dundee.

Owner Karen Fraser moved to the property with husband Scott in October 2016.

“We have been working hard since then to create a garden with all-year interest that complements the lovely rural views we have from the cottage,” says Karen.

“The garden was pretty, but a little neglected. There were very few plants worth saving and moss and weeds had taken over the grassy areas. The hawthorn hedge had become overgrown and heavy.

“There was rotten decking at the back door and a lot of rubbish and rubble lying around. There wasn’t much in the way of borders, so a lot of turf had to be lifted by hand.”

On a more positive note, Karen did inherit a lovely patio and large raised border which are still features of the garden today.

She set about the daunting task of removing rubble and a lot of dead and overgrown planting with a little help.

“At the time, I was a volunteer at Glamis Castle gardens, so the head gardener there came across and helped us get the big trees and shrubs out. His help was a real godsend,” she says.

For Karen, the recipe for creating a beautiful garden is “lots of enthusiasm, determination and elbow grease”.

“Lots of people, when they see the garden, say to me, ‘Oh, it’s a lot of work, a garden’. Well, it may be hard work to many, but to me it is my gym, my playground, my canvas, and my little bit of heaven. I can’t think of it as hard work when I’m enjoying myself so much,” she says.

Despite being so far north, Karen believes that this part of Scotland is a great location for gardening. “My southern friends are often surprised at what I can grow outdoors here,” she says. “I do have lots of interest all year around with flowers every month of the year. The neutral to slightly acidic soil is excellent and full of goodness. The only real problems I have are lack of rain sometimes and strong cold winds from all directions, as we have a pretty exposed site. But even this is an advantage, as we have lovely views of the fields around us, and if you want views, you have to accept exposed conditions.”

She hopes that anyone coming along to visit her garden will find inspiration for their own gardens.

“What I hope we can show is just what a joy a garden can be, whatever the size. The garden is only about a third of an acre. Apart from the ‘Garden Pod’ – our 25th wedding anniversary present to ourselves – nothing is grand or outlandish, most things have been created with a fairly small budget,” says Karen.

“My love of plants means I would much rather plant a tree or hedge than build a wall, so the structure of the garden is mainly created using greenery. I have created different feature areas, all of which make interesting ideas for smaller gardens in their own right.

“I have a small wildlife pond, a herb garden, a gravel (white-themed) garden, shady ‘Camellia Corner’ with potted alpines, a vegetable garden with raised planters, another shady corner planted up with different foliage plants, raised sunny borders, a ‘Meditation Corner’ where acers grow in the shade, a rosy patio border, a large ‘Golden Border’ and the ‘Garden Pod’ area.

“All of these are small-scale and would fit in the smallest plot. There is also a ‘Wildflower Strip’ and many fruit trees in the garden as well as the vegetables. The greenhouse is productive and a great place for pottering when the weather outside is chilly. This year, I am growing tomatoes (several different varieties), melons, courgettes, cucumbers, squashes and chillies inside.”

Karen and her husband opened their garden under the Scotland’s Gardens Scheme for the first time last year. “I wanted to share it with other people who love growing and also to honour my father-in-law, Ron Fraser, who was a Dundee Parks Department gardener for many years. Ron suffered with Parkinson’s and I decided to raise money in his memory,” she says.

“Last year, we raised more than £1,200, and 60% of that went to Parkinson’s UK (Dundee group). The rest went to the nominated charities of Scotland’s Gardens Scheme – all of them excellent causes.”

It may be hard work to many, but to me it is my gym, my playground, my canvas, and my little bit of heaven

Karen and her husband Scott have “worked hard to create a garden with all-year interest that complements the rural views” that they enjoy from Dunvorist Cottage.