SCOTTISH GARDEN DESIGN COMPETITION
www.somniance.org
“It was great fun to take part in Scone Palace Garden Fair. I am an amateur self-taught gardener and the most important things for me in the garden are to experiment, to play, and to have fun. It has been truly overwhelming to receive so many positive comments and feedback from the public about our ‘Cozy Slumber Corner’ garden. I was also surprised by how many questions people asked about the plants: the types, growing conditions, and medicinal and culinary uses.
“Following the show, the plants were divided into three groups. Some of the plants returned to their homes in my own garden as I had raided my own green space in preparation for the show garden and other plants were re-potted and are now awaiting next year's show (if my design proposal for next year is selected, of course). The third group, most importantly, went into creating a small herb garden for our neighbourhood.
“We had long-standing discussions with our neighbours about our dislike of the jointly owned part of the garden that was left by the developers. There was a plan to use the plants from the show to create an attractive but useful small herbal garden. This plot is now planted with St. John’s wort, valerian, thyme, chamomile, lemon balm, various types of mint, motherwort, skullcap, poppies, different types of oregano and sage, thistle, yarrow, agrimony, and evening primrose.
“Many of these plants can be used for cooking and for making herbal teas, and once the plants are established and start flowering, this small plot will be a magnet for pollinators.
“I also had a chance to use some plants in creating a secret woodland garden. There were spaces left after dead shrubs were cut back. I filled this empty space by planting guelder rose (Viburnum opulus), masterwort (Astrantia), foxglove (Digitalis), and forget-me-not (Myosotis).”
Instagram: @blooming_scotland
Facebook: Blooming Scotlandwww.bloomingscotland.co.uk
“Participating in the Scottish Garden Design Competition was a journey like no other. It was a blend of hard work, creativity, and community support. The experience taught us so much about growing and looking after plants for a show garden and we were absolutely delighted to receive a Bronze Medal from the judges for our first ever show garden.
“We met so many talented fellow garden designers and the interaction with visitors was deeply rewarding. It was incredible to see people admire the garden, ask questions, and even take notes for their own gardening projects. The most often used words describing our show garden were ‘calming’, ‘peaceful’, ‘inviting’ and ‘tranquil’ which were exactly the feelings we had in our vision.
“Most of the plants used for the design have been gifted to friends and family. Some of the elements of the design will be moved to the allotment site where we are in the process of creating a seating area for everyone to enjoy.”
Instagram: @duncanmillargardendesign
www.duncanmillargardendesign.co.uk
“The Scottish Garden Design Competition was a fantastic opportunity to showcase my skills as a garden and landscape designer, and winning the People's Choice Award 2024 was very much an added bonus. I took particular pleasure in speaking to the public about their own gardens, and discussing the importance of sustainable garden design measures we can all address in an effort to create beautiful garden spaces.
"Much of the soft landscaping from 'The Rain Garden' has been incorporated into a large town garden I have been designing, situated at the foot of the Eildon Hills in Melrose, Roxburghsire. In this extensive brief I have worked with the clients to create a number of new garden rooms. These include a long formal walk on the site of an old dilapidated tennis court and a sunken, part-shaded garden with intimate seating with a focus on planting for biodiversity and long structural interest, as well as visual impact.
“Many of the hard landscaping elements from 'The Rain Garden' are to find a home in another upcoming project in Berwickshire, while the central feature of my design - a bespoke stormwater planter - is to be retrofitted in our own garden at home.”
“The Scottish Garden Design Competition at Scone Palace Garden Fair has been a fantastic learning experience. As a group of new horticulture students we have learnt so much about teamwork, time management and the amazing healing properties of plants.
“We grew as many of the plants as we could from either seed or cuttings and this made us really appreciate the work that goes into getting them competition ready. Sunflowers flowering at the end of May was one of our biggest challenges!
“The atmosphere at the Fair during the garden build and on show days was incredibly friendly and supportive and we would recommend the event to everyone.
“The plants from our competition garden are being incorporated into existing planting schemes on the SRUC Oatridge campus.”
Could you take part in next year’s Scottish Garden Design Competition by designing your own show garden? Look out the entry process opening soon, we’ll keep you informed on our Instagram and Facebook feeds.
