As this is my first Blog, I feel I should introduce myself. My name is John and I am the Senior Gardener at Ardtornish. I was promoted last Autumn, previously having held the post of Kitchen Gardener, I feel like there is much to tell.

Thanks to phenomenal efforts from our home team and volunteers, the main garden has benefitted from some much needed TLC. January’s relentless storms didn’t halt efforts. Come rain, shine, snow, hail or frost, the team has been out daily, dedicating many hours to reclaiming several areas of the garden.

I imagine these long days have been made easier by the upgrades to our Potting Shed facilities. A log burner and drying room have been added so that our volunteers have a place to kick off their wellies and dry off during tea breaks. Now that the sun has made an appearance, it’s easier to forget the two days I spent waist-deep in Loch Aline, clearing silt and seaweed from a burn to prevent waterlogging on the lower lawn.

Keeper’s Path and Ardtornish House borders have benefited most from the Winter work. The entire rockery has been pruned; it will be interesting to see this area in spring, light can penetrate areas that were badly overgrown. The stones that line the main driveway to Ardtornish House have also been cleared from years of moss and vegetation build-up which frames the entrance.

The Rhododendron Arch has also received light maintenance, climbing Ivy has been carefully removed from trees and overgrown borders hacked back to uncover the shrubs and flowers. Ditches and drains have been cleared and redirected to restore the streams back to their intended routes

Opening Vistas in the Garden is something I am keen to continue with; creating pathways and laying boardwalks that lead you through the gardens to find new perspectives and previously hidden features. Speaking of which, we are part way through the somewhat satisfying job of uncovering a set of garden steps leading up to the Deer Sanctuary from the driveway of Ardtornish House. Until a few weeks ago, the steps were a lost feature and thought to be nothing more than a narrow, uneven, path. Now restored back to its former glory, I am sure visitors will enjoy exploring this ‘new’ feature of the garden.

Whilst these projects have required a lot of manpower, mother nature has simultaneously been making her own, effortless changes. Following the emergence of the Snowdrops, vivid patches of violet and yellow now pepper the lawns as the Crocuses and Daffodils join us and soon enough the once bramble-clogged banks will be a carpet of blue.

Colourful signs of an incoming spring are welcomed and with sunlight hours extending by the day, my thoughts are not far away from upcoming tasks in the Kitchen Garden. Polytunnels to be cleaned, pots to be disinfected and seeds to be sewn before very long to prepare for a productive season. I do not want to wish my life away but I do look forward to the satisfaction of filling up our seasonal veg boxes once again and of course, nature waits for no-one. Garlics are already emerging!

The rebuilding of the Kitchen Garden Wall, which had to be demolished for safety purposes back in 2022, is well underway, with the main structure set to be finished by the time winter comes around again. All being well, this time next year our produce will be sheltered by a replica of the original, Victorian wall and an even more attractive place for visitors to explore.

I will update readers again in a few months’ time; in the meanwhile, I hope to see our guests and visitors enjoying the fruits of our labour around Ardtornish.