Last spring at Scone Palace just outside Perth, we were proud to hold our very first Garden Fair. With the sad demise of Gardening Scotland we felt it was very important that a ‘gardening gathering’ of sorts took place in the country, and so decided to take up the challenge.
Over the two days nearly 4000 gardeners came down from the Highlands, and up from as far as the north of England, to shop from the specialist nurseries and garden centres who joined in to support what we were trying to do. Considering the country was still coming out of lockdown restrictions, I take my hat off and give our thanks to all the plant traders for taking the gamble, in particular to Dominic Kaye Plants who made the longest journey. I believe overnight trips were required from some to restock for the Saturday!
Set on the main lawns with the Palace as a backdrop, the beautiful, blue skies and sunshine could not have made the setting any more spectacular. The old carriage drive was lined either side with pristine white marquees with the most colourful selection of plants from which any gardener could ask to shop.
We were also joined by some of our country’s garden groups and societies like the National Vegetable Society, The Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society, Scotland’s Garden Scheme, Discover Scottish Gardens, and Trellis to name but a few who took the opportunity to meet the gardening public, coax new members, and give out endless gardening advice. Personally, this year I’m just going to put my voice on auto reply with a message on how to deal with slugs and snails!
Situated in the centre of Scotland, we are easily accessible by road and public transport to attract gardeners to come from all over the country, and within a reasonable time - Edinburgh is 50 minutes away, Glasgow 1 hour 20 minutes, and Inverness and Aberdeen just 2 hours away.
Entry fee to the Fair not only gives you access to the best in gardening plants but also allows those attending a chance to explore the whole 100 acres of gardens and grounds at Scone. The Kitchen Garden, Victorian Pinetum, Murray Star Maze, and Douglas Pavilion are all linked by walks planted with rhododendron, philadelphus, and other shrubs and perennials.
Despite positive feedback from both attendees and exhibitors who felt the set up and atmosphere allowed for thorough engagement with each other, we do realise the 2023 Garden Fair is the difficult second album. We were genuinely overwhelmed by how many visitors came along in 2022 and this year will have more catering facilities, and be better organised for customers taking plants back to their cars.
This year we have added a new garden design competition aimed at design students, gardeners, landscapers, and anyone else who wishes to showcase their talents. We are grateful for the support of Binny Plants, The Plant Market, Glendoick, and New Hopetoun Gardens for their generous support of this.
We are adding a series of gardening talks and demonstrations throughout both days this year, and will once again be joined by Beechgrove gardeners Carole Baxter and George Anderson.
Running each day from 10am-4.30pm, Scone Palace Garden Fair is shaping up to be an amazing event again this year!
Tickets are on sale NOW, but you can WIN a pair of tickets to Scone Place Garden Fair by dropping us an email with Scone Place Garden Fair in the title, before 30th April 2023, and we'll pick a winner at random to WIN a pair of tickets!
Listen out for more chat from Brian on the Scotland Grows Show - coming to your ears soon on all good streaming platforms!