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9 Aug 2021

Colour across the seasons at Malleny Garden

Written by Bob Douglas, volunteer
A view of a garden path, running beside a flower bed bursting with plants and colour! Lots of purple and pink flowers grow in the foreground. Running parallel to the path is a tall stone garden wall.
Our volunteer gardener Bob has put together a gallery of some of the stunning blooms that can be seen during the year at Malleny Garden.

I started volunteering in Malleny Garden in 2017 as part of the Balerno Village Trust team, which took on responsibility for the old vegetable plot. It hadn’t been cultivated for some time, so in the first year there was a lot of digging to clear the ground, and regular removal of somewhat rampant weeds!

As we got the plot under control over the years, a few of us put our names forward to volunteer in the main garden. We were all set to get going in 2020 when the pandemic thwarted our plans. I finally started in June 2021.

I’ve been taking pictures in the garden since 2017. During the pandemic I posted several shots on the local community Facebook page. These were appreciated by many who were unable to access the garden due to lockdown restrictions, as well as by local residents who were unaware of the tranquil space and floral riches on their doorstep.

The main appeal of Malleny Garden for me is the chance to admire the cascades of blooms from late spring through summer, as well as the quieter gems flowering throughout the seasons.

I hope you enjoy this selection of pictures taken by me.

A close-up view of the flower of a single pink tulip, with green trees in the background. A close-up view of a single, deep red peony flower. The flower is shaped almost like a sphere, with densely packed petals. A gravelly garden path runs through a walled garden, with lush flower beds either side. Tall yews can be seen in the background. A close-up view of a salmon-pink poppy flower, with its dark centre. It's surrounded by bright green leaves. A view of a cluster of bright purple, almost star-shaped campanula flowers. A close-up view of a large, pale pink peony flower. Smaller, deeper pink flowers can be seen in the background. A large glasshouse has shelves of pink and purple potted plants running down the sides. A large green climbing plant grows in the centre, with a table of blue- and pink-flowering potted plants in the foreground. A red admiral butterfly perches on a pink buddleia plant, with its dense cluster of small flowers. A view of a carpet of purple-pink, saucer-shaped flowers of geraniums. A cluster of ball-shaped purple allium flowers grow in a bed, all atop their long thin stalks. A bumblebee prepares to land on deep blue aconitum flowers, clustered around a tall stem. Yellow Alstroemeria and white Ammi flowers grow together in a cluster. The bright red leaves of the Euonymus tree form a vibrant display in a garden, with a bright blue sky behind. A group of people are at work in a vegetable plot within a large walled garden. Some are carrying bright yellow buckets.

Malleny Garden is open daily, all year round.

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