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June the gateway to summer when…

‘The sun shines for you, birds sing for you, flowers bloom for you so don’t forget to smile for you!’ (Marjory Pay Hinkley)

We all love bright sunshine and warmth but there has been little or no rain this month so the gardeners are flat out watering plants to keep them alive. Almost everything has been planted out, the cut flower beds are full and the vegetable beds are catching up!

The longest day has passed along with a bumper fresh asparagus crop for this year. Already fresh produce is being picked for use in The Walled Garden Café, Castle kitchens and to sell in The Walled Garden Shop.

Mangetout, sugar snap and garden peas; salad crops cut fresh each day;delicious mixed leaves with names like little gem, salad bowl, the pink tinged leaves of lollo rosso and easily recognisable ‘freckles!’

Soft fruit is ripening, starting with strawberries which are smaller this year due to dry weather but still sweet and full of summer goodness.

Not long now till the first new tatties are ready. A variety called Casablanca looks to be first out of the soil. This potato has a white fluffy flesh, excellent for steaming, boiling, roasting and chipping. Next up will be Arran Pilot, it is recommended as a flavoursome first early potato, I look forward to a taste test boiling of these; sprinkled with a little oatmeal – a feast.

This year the tomato plants were planted directly into the greenhouse soil. They are growing well and developing trusses of fruit indicate that there will be fresh tomatoes ready to eat soon. Growing at their feet are edible marigolds and basil. The aroma of all three together is mouth watering.

The continuing high temperatures mean it is hard to keep up the pace of work in the garden.

Round the garden flowers of every shape and hue are bursting into bloom. In the trial beds clarkia and unusual dahlias are joined by helichrysuim and Statice. The later two are suitable for drying with a view to creating a dried flower arranging workshop in the Autumn.

The central herbaceous borders are coming into their own and the lavender meadow surrounding the pond is liberally dusting with a haze of purple.

The Gordon Castle bees delighted!!

‘How doth the little busy bee

Improve each shining hour

And gather honey all the day

From every opening flower! (Isaac Watts)

A large variety of flowering and vegetable plants are on sale at The Potting Shed Shop.

Gin School Weekends are very popular. Join Michelle Myron to forage botanicals from the garden then learn the art of distilling to make your own small batch gin.

Booking is essential, secure your session here.

The Walled Garden Café features freshly picked garden produce on the menu and is open Wednesday to Sunday from 10am till 4pm.

The outdoor theatre kicks off this year on 2^nd July with David Walliam’s ‘Bad Dad’ performed by Heartbreak production. Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility follows on July 7^th and on 29^th July the company perform MacHamLear by Michael Davies.

Tickets available here.

There is much happening at The Walled Garden, vegetables are growing, plants are flowering, bees are buzzing . July beckons when the garden is certainly in full bloom and production.

All are welcome in this wonderful place of vibrant colour and great peacefulness.

Quick Spiced Walnut & Oat Salad Topping
1 tablespoon sunflower oil
85g Hamlyn’s porridge oats
60g chopped walnuts
30g pumpkin seeds
1/8^th teaspoon chilli flakes
¼ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar

Heat the oil in a saucepan. Toss in the other ingredients and keep stirring till hot and toasted. Serve hot over a green salad . Cool and store in an airtight container and use on salads as needed.
Use peanuts, hazelnuts, sunflower seeds, herbs instead of spices.

Warm Potato Salad
Serves 4
225g cooked new potatoes
1 teacup cooked garden peas
2 or 3 spring onions – chopped
Freshly chopped parsley
Dressing:-
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon wine or cider vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
Pinch of salt
Grinding of black pepper.

Cut the potatoes into evenly sized chunks and put into a bowl with the peas and spring onions. Put the dressing ingredients into a jar with a tight fitting lid and shake well. Pour enough over the potatoes to moisten and mix well. Snip plenty parsley over the top and serve. Delicious made with warm potatoes and peas.

Scottish Tomato and Syboe Salad
Serves 4
4 large ripe tomatoes
3 or 4 spring onions or Syboes
A few chives if you have any
Dressing made as above.
Choose a wide flat dish. Cut the tomatoes in half. Cut a small v round the core/stalk and remove. Lay flat onto a chopping board and slice thinly. Discard the end pieces. Lay onto the plate in an overlapping circle starting at the outside. Snip the spring onions and chives over the top. Drizzle with dressing, cover and chill for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Kindly written by Liz Ashworth for Gordon Castle Walled Garden.

There is an old Chinese proverb ‘He who plants a garden plants happiness .’

May for Gordon Castle is the busiest month of the year. The gardeners are indeed planting much happiness as they transfer 20, 000 seedlings into the garden ground! It is a mammoth job coupled with the constant battle against weeds which are growing at a great rate of knots!!

Each day more of the garden ground fills up. The peas are sown, leeks, onions and the first crop of brassicas are already growing in the vegetable beds. The early planted mixed salad leaves have survived the cold snap to provide daily fresh salad greens for the Café kitchen.

The cut flower beds are being planted with colourful annuals such as cosmos, larkspur and Ami. New this year is a dark purple poppy named Black Swan which should flower in early June, Head Gardener Ed reckons it is a stunning flower so we wait and watch.

The thousands of tulip bulbs planted at the end of 2022 are now in flower, they seem to march through and across the garden in glorious splendour, majestic and vibrant they catch the eye no matter where you turn. Then it will be the turn of a huge variety of dahlias who will tiptoe in to replace the receding army of tulips as late spring heralds in the blooms of summer.

Wild flower seeds are sown in the meadows and espaliered and step over apple trees are literally laden thick with fragrant blossom bringing happiness to the Gordon Castle bee population! The bees are busy collecting nectar pollinating as they flit from flower to flower.

The tomatoes are planted in the large greenhouse this year directly into the ground in a specially created bed. This should produce a more prolific crop. Fifty seedlings in all; old favourites like gardeners Delight and Ailsa Carig are joined by new ones like pale pink Rose Crush and Green Zebra which appears just as the name implies.

Freshly cut rhubarb and asparagus are now on sale in The Potting Shed Shop and should be available into June.

The shop is open daily from 11am – 4pm until 5^th June when it will open from 10am – 4pm.

The Café is open Wednesday to Sunday from 10am till 4pm. Fresh salads on the menu straight from the garden each day.

The Walled Garden and children’s play-area is open daily from 10am till 4pm.

The new herbaceous border created by Anna Bollom is now established on either side of the Orangery outside The Castle; blooming with a huge mix of perennials such as roses, delphiniums, geraniums, echinops and salvia.

Filled with colour in time for the Highland Games which takes place this year on Sunday 21^st May – tickets are available now online or to buy at the gate.

The cold spring has caused the tulips to flower later, worth the wait they are spectacular in glorious technicolour. Come and enjoy, a warm welcome awaits.

Mum’s rhubarb crisp
A recipe from childhood which remains a favourite.
Serves 4
250g rhubarb – washed, trimmed and chopped
45g granulated sugar
Topping:-
115g porridge oats
60g plain flour
115g soft brown sugar
½ teaspoon baking powder
85g butter or margarine – melted
1 teaspoon vanilla essence

Put the rhubarb into a casserole dish, sprinkle with sugar. Mix the dry ingredients, stir in melted butter and vanilla essence. Spread over the rhubarb and bake at 180C ( 160C fan) 350F, Gas 4 for 25 to 30 minutes till golden and crisp.

Great Aunt Molly’s Rhubarb pudding
Great Aunt Molly reckoned that her simple pudding idea was the very best. Simply stew rhubarb then break rich tea biscuits over and that is it. Perhaps a little cream but add nothing more.

How to stew Rhubarb.
Serves 2
To each 225g chopped rhubarb, instead of sugar allow 1 tablespoon of golden syrup to sweeten which softens the acid flavours. Pop into a pan add a little water and simmer on medium heat till tender. Cool and store in the fridge.
Broken rich tea biscuits on top? As many, or as few as you like.

Kindly written by Liz Ashworth for Gordon Castle Walled Garden.

A fanfare of colourful tulips and a beautiful floral crown welcomes visitors in celebration of a historic coronation day. However, a hand picked selection of Gordon Castle flowers travelled to London to be part of the floral display in West Minster Abbey.

Gordon Castle Walled Garden is a member of Flowers from the Farm which is proud to be working with Shane Connolly, the floral designer and sustainable floristry advocate, to bring seasonal, sustainable, UK-grown flowers to the heart of Westminster Abbey, a gift from Flowers from the Farm to His Majesty King Charles III and Queen Camilla on their coronation.

As Flowers from the Farm’s Honorary President, Gill says:

“It feels as though flower farming has come of age and I could not be prouder of Flowers from the Farm. A decade ago, we were told that our flowers were just for bunting and jam jars, so to see them in Westminster Abbey designed by Shane Connolly, an internationally acclaimed floral designer, is a very special moment. It is incredible to think that the flowers that were just a few days previously growing in my Yorkshire field are now on display to the world in a building of national importance on such a momentous occasion.”

 Members teamed up  to relay buckets of fresh flowers to local hubs. Gordon Castle’s flowers began their journey south at Aviemore where Zara Gordon Lennox met other contributors. The flower relay ended at the Gloucestershire flower farm of  co- chairs Jo Wright and Wendy Paul where they were sorted and prepared for Shane Connolly to arrange in West Minster Abbey.

After the service at the Abbey the flowers will be distributed by the charity Flower Angels to hospices, care homes, vulnerable members of the community and shelters.

Meanwhile we can all appreciate the wealth of colour emerging each day in The Walled Garden – no need to travel to London or Amsterdam, just to Gordon Castle at Fochabers! All are welcome.

Kindly written by Liz Ashworth for Gordon Castle Walled Garden.

‘I love spring anywhere, but if I could choose I would always greet it in a garden!’ – Ruth Stout

Snowdrops under foot, hidden under trees; crocuses emerging as buds of green appear, surely spring is on the way.

At last winter tidying is complete not least the mammoth task of pruning tree and bush.

Thoughts turn now to growth. Harbingers of spring apricot blossom and winter flowering cherry have burst into delicate bloom.

Beneath them crocuses cautiously pop colourful heads and strong green leaves of daffodil and tulip herald a riot of colourful spring flowers to come.

The plaintiff cry of returning oyster catchers echoes round the walls, often heard but seldom seen they create ‘surrounding sound’ as if to spur leaf and flower into growth.

The gardeners are hard at work in the important job of mulching, feeding the soil which in turn will feed others in the months to come. The mulch is of horse manure, preferred due to its fine texture and nutrient content.

Sown seeds germinate in the small cosy greenhouse, each morning Head Gardener Ed finds more green shoots appearing. A time of new beginnings with flower seedlings such as Gordon Castle sweet peas, ammi, calendula and clarkia growing along side vegetables like broccoli, cauliflowers and cabbage. Over two hundred and seventy varieties of seeds will be sown, each tiny plant different in shape colour and speed of growth.

The greenhouses spruce and clean are filling up with seedlings because as yet it is too cold to plant out into the soil.

John Hancox, a specialist in Scottish Heritage Fruit trees, visited the garden last year and as a result supplied fourteen new varieties of apple tree which Ed has been heeling in till the planting areas are ready for them. Eight varieties will grow as standard trees in the area behind the café.

The remaining six will complete the step over beds which Davy is building on the West side of the garden.

The step over trees are grown from a grafted whip, planted then pruned to the height of the step over rail. This is to encourage the growth of two shoots at the tip which will be trained along the rail to the right and left of the main stem probably in mid to late summer. It is with great interest we will chart their growth over the next months.

Step over apple trees can be very productive, with records of up to 30 apples from one tree. Ed noted that St Edmund’s pippin is one such variety. It will take two years for all the trees to become established and start to bear fruit. Thus taking the number of apple varieties growing in Gordon Castle Walled Garden to eighty six! Each different and each with a story to tell.

Work is coming on apace outside the castle, where a huge herbaceous border is taking shape. It has been designed by Head Gardener Ed’s wife Anna who is also a horticulturalist. The border over fifty metres long lies on each side of the Orangery promising a colourful display featuring delphiniums, geraniums, phlox, climbing roses such as Bathsheba with topiary spheres to add interest and structure. The Gordon Castle Highland Games on 21^st May will be an ideal time to see this colourful new addition to the Castle garden.

As the approaching spring gathers momentum, much is happening and is about to happen.  It is an exciting time in The Walled Garden, more green shoots, bud and flower with each passing day. More news at the start of April!

Kindly written by Liz Ashworth for Gordon Castle Walled Garden.

During the second week of January, on a day of bright winter sunshine I drove to Gordon Castle with baked goodies to cheer the gardeners hard at work in The Walled Garden.

Like a theatre stage cleared of its last production, the place was illuminated in bright light as if a ‘super trooper’ spotlight had been switched on in the sky above. Every nook and cranny glowed whilst the neatly pruned branches of espaliered and step-over fruit trees were silhouetted against a clear blue winter sky.

A little robin had joined the gardening group, hopping around with puffed red breast and busy beak, tussling with some large juicy worms. That little bird afforded such entertainment; would he or wouldn’t he win the ‘tug of worm?’ He was spoilt for choice from a winter feast, the gardeners forks tilling the earth as they pruned and tidied the herb gardens.

I spent quite some time trying to photo that wee bird! Where’s Robin? I promise he is there; can you find him?

It was a lovely day of crisp dry weather and much activity; definitely ‘the calm before the storm’ for soon ‘The north wind did blow, and we did have snow!’ The gardens resident robin is still there no doubt watching the white blanketed garden with his beady eyes. That snow covering is a good thing because it insulates the soil, trapping warmth underground to assist mother nature in her ‘Spring Production.’ Indeed a few green shoots have appeared in beds, planters and pots, signs of the colourful display which will certainly be ‘centre stage’ in a few weeks time.

Undeterred the gardeners work on pruning and tidying as they go. Ed Bollom the Head Gardener has time to spend in the office pouring over seed and plant catalogues making planting plans and compiling orders. In February there will be a lot to write about; plans for new trial beds, courses to attend on growing your own and much more besides.

Already organisation of the spectacular Gordon Castle Highland Games is well advanced. A first date for your diary – Sunday 21^st May! A super day out for everyone to enjoy.

The Walled Garden Shop is open once more to welcome visitors as they arrive and The Potting Shed Shop still has apples, leeks and some parsnips for sale.

The Café is open Wednesday to Sunday from 11am till 4pm. The pensioners’ menu and special cake and coffee deals are popular.

Some delicious recipes to try:-

Hot Winter Salad

Plenty shredded lettuce – like iceberg or little gem.
Add grated carrot, apple or cabbage if you like.

Dressing:-
1 tablespoon sunflower oil
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
¼ teaspoon chilli flakes
1 large tomato – finely chopped
¼ teaspoon sugar
Sea salt to season
1 table spoon extra virgin olive oil
Squeeze of lemon juice
Generous splash of balsamic vinegar

Heat the sunflower oil in a pan, add the mustard seeds and heat till they start popping add the chilli flakes and tomato to sizzle lightly then remove from the heat. Add all the other ingredients and stir well together. Pour over the lettuce in the bowl and toss together. Serve at once.

Anne’s treacle scones
Makes 12 scones

You will need:-
225g (8oz) self raising flour
11/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 level teaspoon each of cinnamon and mixed spice
¼ teaspoon salt
30g (1oz) butter
30g (1oz) soft brown sugar
30g (1oz) black treacle – warmed
1 egg
Milk to mix

Heat the oven to 220C (200C fan) 425F, Gas 77. Oil a baking tray. Sift the dry ingredients into a bowl, rub in the butter then mix in the warmed treacle along with the gg and sufficient milk to make a soft pliable consistency. Deposit onto a floured board and sprinkle with flour. Pat out with the palm of your hand to 2 cm (3/4in) thickness cut with a scone cutter about 5cm (2in) and lay on the tray. Gently knead the trimmings together and repeat. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes till risen and firm. Cool on a wire tray and enjoy freshly baked with plenty butter.

Spring is just around the corner!

Kindly written by Liz Ashworth for Gordon Castle Walled Garden.

In the bleak midwinter, Frosty wind made moan, Earth stood hard as iron.
Water like a stone, Snow had fallen, Snow on snow on snow,

In the bleak midwinter, Long, long ago.

(Words by Christina Rosetti; music by Gustav Holst)

Words from an iconic Christmas carol conjure the scene in the hushed snow covered Walled Garden at Gordon Castle. But do not be fooled by the silence for under your very feet things are happening. A single flower bulb is filled with incredible energy; already the eight thousand Autumn planted daffodil, narcissi, tulip and anemone bulbs are getting their act together below ground preparing a spectacular display for spring 2023!

Mother Nature never rests.

This is definitely not gardening weather however, the gardeners and volunteers have been busy working together to create forty naturally sustainable Christmas wreaths. It takes quite some time to collect and prepare the foliage, berries and flowers necessary but ‘gosh’ the beautiful end results are well worth it. Furthermore the Christmas Wreath workshops have been a roaring success, a big thank you to everyone who attended.

Thank you to all the gardeners whose hard work this year has seen the garden grow in so many different ways. Thank you also to the volunteers who add such a lot to the life of the garden with willing hands and friendly chat. It is much appreciated.

Volunteers are always welcome. No experience required! On the job training, equipment, lunch provided, new friends to meet. It is great to be outside in the fresh air being part of something growing and exciting!

Good news too – at last The Gordon Castle Garden Shop has re-opened!

Filled with lovely garden related gifts, seeds to grow; the where with all to plant them and a cook book of Recipes from the Walled Garden to encourage you to grow, cook and eat local in the year to come. A taste of garden produce to take home in biscuits, jams, relishes and fruit juices, not forgetting the well known Gordon Castle gins, cider and luxurious Seidear apple champagne. Who can resist the aromatic soaps and creams reminiscent of the smell of fresh herbs and flowers of the summer past.

It is not too late to buy fresh Christmas vegetables from The Potting Shed Shop – next week (weather permitting) seasonal brussels sprouts, parsnips and leeks!

Don’t forget the Walled Garden Café is open on the following days;

OPEN Christmas Eve & New Year’s Eve 11am – 3pm (Limited availability)

CLOSED Christmas Day & New Year’s Day.

All of us at Gordon Castle would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a very Happy Christmas and peaceful New Year.

We look forward to seeing you again in 2023 to come, there is always a warm welcome no matter what the weather brings.

Kindly written by Liz Ashworth for Gordon Castle Walled Garden.

‘She stands in tattered gold

Tossing bits of amber, and jade, jewels of a year grown old November!’

(Zephyr Ware Tarver (1886-1974)

The gardeners are hard at work with a spring in their step and spring on their minds; planning ahead, clearing and cultivating flower beds ready for the big ‘plantathon!!’ There are 8000 bulbs to go into the ground this month; twenty five varieties of tulips, and ten of daffodils left to mature and grow over the winter months to provide a spectacular welcome to spring when the flowers emerge  in March 2023. Unfortunately older bulbs, in general, do not provide such a show of colour during the second year, so last year’s bulbs have already been unearthed and donated to eager gardeners. However, an experimental planting of large tubs and pots will combine older and new bulbs, awaiting results in due course!

Overall the garden is being ‘ put to bed’  for the winter, the last weeds removed, old fruit canes pruned out and new ones tied up ready for next year’s growth.

Soon it will be time to hang Christmas decorations, planned for the last week of November to celebrate the start of special Christmas afternoon teas which start on Saturday 26^th and served in the café right up until Christmas. Check availability here, booking is essential to avoid disappointment.

Then there is making the unique Gordon Castle Christmas wreaths all hand-made with natural materials from the garden and the estate beyond. On sale at the Potting Shed Shop or to order.

Would you believe it? The gardeners are still picking apples! Another load is almost ready to go to Elgin Orchards for juicing.  The seventy two varieties of apple trees growing in the gardens will be joined soon by another twenty two trees to be planted in the winter time making the Gordon Castle apple collection one of the largest in the country. A long term project is to label all the trees and create a data base of each apple with concise details of the appearance and eating characteristics of each type. Ed the head gardener reckons this might take a while!!

The twenty five varieties of colourful dahlias which have given such pleasure of colour, shape and size are being lifted to store in frost free places over the winter. Next year it is planned to add to their happy presence by the trial of even more new ones, a delightful sunny prospect.

The Gordon Castle recipe book is a celebration of the rich produce that the garden has given over the years. Colourful and informative, it makes a simple, thoughtful gift for the festive season. Why not take one home along with fresh produce from the potting shed shop to cook fresh and local in your own kitchen.

The Walled Garden is a peaceful place to rest far from the hustle and bustle around. Come, recharge your batteries and perhaps take a little of its goodness home with you.

Open from 10am till 4pm each week.

The Garden Café is open 11am till 3pm Wednesday to Sunday, serving garden produce where possible.

Here are some tasty recipes!

OLD FASHIONED APPLE GINGER

A delicious relish with roasts and grills
1.35kg (3lb) cooking apples – peeled cored and sliced
85g (3oz) root ginger – peeled and grated
The juice of 2 lemons
1 teacup of water
450g (1lb) granulated sugar
1 level teaspoon chilli flakes (optional)

Wash and sterilise up to 10 jars 250 ml capacity.  Put the sliced apples, ginger, lemon juice and water into a deep pan bring to the boil over a medium heat, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.  Add the sugar and stir continuously till the mix boils, reduce the heat and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and add chilli if liked.  I jar some without chilli and some with to cater for all tastes. Serve with roasts, fish and a tangy cheese. Store in a cool place and use within 2 months. To extend the ‘shelf life’ add 1 teaspoon of citric acid before bottling.

CRAB APPLE AND PLUM GIN JELLY

550g (1 ¼ lb) crab apples
550g (1 ¼ lb) apples make sure some have a red skin – washed and quartered

Cover with water and simmer for at least 1 hour till the juices flow and the fruit is soft and mushy. Strain through a jelly bag or a sieve lined with muslin.

To each 600mls (1pint) of juice
300g (10oz) granulated sugar
Add 1 tablespoon Gordon Castle Plum Gin to finish – see below

Pour the juice into a deep sauce pan, stir in the sugar on a very low heat till dissolved. Simmer, stirring occasionally, till the jelly begins to thicken (approx 20 minutes). Test by dropping a small spoonful onto a cold plate, if it wrinkles to the touch when cool the jelly is ready. Do not boil further. Cool in the pan a little and before pouring stir in 1 tablespoon of Gordon Castle Plum Gin for each batch as above. Pour into sterilised jars and seal. Label and store in a cool place.

Serve with cheeses, game and smoked fish and meats.  Some like it spread on a warm oven scone.

Kindly written by Liz Ashworth for Gordon Castle Walled Garden.

‘Apples peaches, pears and plums please tell me when your birthday comes!
 

Gordon Castle has not so much had a birthday but a harvest celebration which began back in August with a bumper crop of plums and soon gave way to a bounty of apples and pears of every size, shape and hue. Gardeners have already picked over 1000 juicy ripe pears while more golden ripening fruits gild trees awaiting their turn!

Apples, apples everywhere!! Two and a half tons are already their way along with pears to be juiced or turned into Gordon Castle Cider. Garden apples and pears are used to create dishes on the Walled Garden Café menu with fresh fruit for sale at the Potting Shed Shop! Have a peek into the greenhouses, wow there are apples and pears galore!

Bright coloured apples on the step over and espaliered trees glow in the autumn light. Bright russets, rich ruby reds and every colour and shape in between. Such evocative names as Domino, Ingrid Marie, Adams Pearman, Edward V11, Mere de Ménage, Russet, Red Gravenstein, Fiesta, Pearl Maiden, Tower of Glamis, Grampa Buxton and Lady Lambourne; some sweet and juicy, others tart and crisp. There is an apple to suit every taste, each with a story to tell. Where did they originate? Perhaps the names may give you a clue!!

On the north wall, Bramley and Howgate Wonder cooking apples are ready to be picked. Both flavoursome; we are familiar with the famous ‘Bramley’. However, Howate Wonder; popular in the Moray area, has an attractive red tinged skin with superb texture and sweetness. Particularly good for baking!

The prolific crop of summer vegetables is now past so the job is to tidy, cultivate and prepare the beds for the next year. Winter vegetables such as leeks and parsnips are already cropping. Included in the Café menu and ready to buy at the Potting Shed shop.

The massive crop of chillies is strung up to dry and stored for the winter. They will soon be on sale. Ideal for all sorts of savoury dishes, adding fire to chutneys and stews. From Joe’s Long a cayenne type and Demon Red to the very hottest chilli Carolina Reaper. On the Scoville scale most chillies sit around 10 – 2,000. The Carolina Reaper hits the heights at 2 million!

The Garden overflows with colour illuminated in leaf and flower; gold, russets scarlet and amber reds; the whole sparked with autumnal fire. This rare spectacle soon disappears when the winds come, so visit soon to appreciate this radiant farewell to a fabulously productive year.

There is plenty to see; the last leaves on the trees, bright red crab apples, vibrant dahlias of diverse colour shape and size just keep on giving scattered among many other plants which are also determined to keep on flowering till the first big frosts herald the arrival of winter.

Sustainable flowers (for sale too) with no flower flights, fresh, local seasonal and unique!!

Gordon Castle has been chosen as an RHS partner garden allowing members to visit one day a week free of charge. Gordon Castle Gardens will also feature in the RHS January magazine. More details of the partnership to follow.

Hopefully there will be even more peaches growing in the garden next year thanks to the generosity of The Worshipful Company of Fruiterers. They visited the Walled Garden on 13^th October when a ‘Peregrin’ peach tree was presented to Angus and Zara in celebration of winning the Historic Houses Association Garden of the year award. The tree was planted by Laurence S Olins JP, Master of the Worshipful Company of Fruiterers, against the south facing wall, using a ceremonial spade, accompanied by the skirl of bagpipes!!

The 700 years old Worshipful Company of Fruiterers promotes excellence across all sectors of the fruit industry, raises funds for charity and supports education and research.

The ever popular Christmas Wreath workshops return this year. There are still spaces on the 11^th December at £55.00 per person including all materials and a lovely wreath to take home. Enjoy an interesting and informative morning with Zara from 10am till 12.30pm. Book here now

The busy café is open from 11am till 4pn Wednesday till Sunday serving freshly prepared food using garden produce as much as possible. The Potting Shed Shop is still bursting with fruits of the harvest and well worth a visit on the way home to gather tatties, vegetables, apples, pears and perhaps a bunch of garden flowers to brighten Autumn days.

Here are some lovely recipes to try out!

FRANCONIAN AUTUMN APPLE CAKE 
Oven – 200C 400F, Gas 6 – Middle shelf
Oiled and lined swiss roll tin

You will need:-
3 large eggs
Their weight in sugar
Their weight in plain flour less 50g
50g cornflour

Topping:-
3 large apples peeled cored and sliced or chopped
Fresh lemon juice
Ground cinnamon
Vanilla essence

To make:

• Whisk the eggs and sugar till thick and creamy
• Sift the flours into the mixture and fold together. Pour into the tray and smooth over.
• Mix the apples with lemon juice, 2 teaspoon cinnamon and the same of vanilla essence.
• Shake over the top of the cake to cover roughly.
• Bake 12 minutes or till risen and firm.
• Cool in the tray and drizzle with lemon water ice to finish.
• Serve fresh.
• You can make this with plums, peaches, nectarines or pears or a mixture.

LITTLE LEMON CURD CAKES
Oven 180C, 350F, Gas 4
To make:-
Cream 175g stork with 175g caster sugar.

Beat in 1 teaspoon lemon essence.
Beat in 3 eggs and then fold in 175g plain flour sifted with 2 teaspoons baking powder.
Put 1 teaspoon batter into each cup cake case, top with 1 teaspoon lemon curd and top with another teaspoon mixture.
Bake 12 to 15 minutes till risen and firm.
Cool and ice with lemon water icing.

KAREN’S CHOCAHOLIC FIX
No cooking needed

Melt 150g white chocolate and stir in half a jar of crunchy peanut butter along with a small packet of mini-marshmallows. Set in the fridge..Cut and enjoy.

AUTUMN APPLE SPONGE CAKE
Makes a cake 20cm (8in) diameter
Bake at 190C (170C fan) 375 F, Gas 5

Sponge:-
3 large eggs
75g (2 ½ oz) caster sugar
30g (1oz) honey
75g (2 ½ oz) self raising flour
20g ( ¾ oz) rolled oats
2 large cooking apples – peeled cored and sliced

Icing to finish:-
Icing sugar
Lemon juice

Turn on the oven to heat the oil and line the tin. Whisk the eggs, sugar and honey till thick and creamy.  Sift in the flour and add the oats. Stir in gently and then pour into the prepared tin and spread evenly. Lay apple slices in overlapping rows over the surface of the sponge and then bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the middle of the oven. Remove from the oven when firm and springy to touch. Cool in the tin. Drizzle with lemon water ice when cool, cut and serve freshly baked.

RUSTIC CIDER APPLE CHEESE SCONES
A quick scone recipe easily made at the last minute.

175g (6oz) self raising flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
45g (1 ½ oz) grated eating apple
45g (1 ½ oz) chopped walnuts
60g (2oz) grated mature cheddar cheese
½ teaspoon salt
60g (2oz) melted butter
1 egg beaten with
Gordon Castle cider to mix
Handful of rolled oats

Turn on the oven to heat at 200C (180C fan) 400F, Gas 6. Oil and line a baking tray.  Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl, add the apple, walnuts, cheese and a small handful of oats and mix together. Stir in the melted butter then stir in the egg with enough cider to make a soft, elastic dough. Flour the baking tray and turn the scone mix out onto the middle of it. Dust with flour and pat out to a round approx 2.5cm (1in) thick. Mark into 8 wedges with the blade of a knife. Bake in the oven for 12 to 15 minutes till risen and golden. Cool on the tray. Cut into wedges and eat warm and freshly baked.

PEAR AND GINGER CRUNCH
Makes a tray

85g (3oz) rolled oats
175g (6oz) self raising flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
150g (5oz) margarine
115g (4oz) soft brown sugar
115g (4oz) chopped pears

Topping:-
60g (2oz) margarine
1 tablespoon golden syrup
1 teaspoon ginger
115g (4oz) icing sugar

Turn on the oven at 160C (140C fan) 325F, Gas 3. Oil the baking tin. Cream the margarine and sugar till soft and fluffy, stir in the other ingredients and spread evenly in the prepared tin. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes till firm and golden. Leave to cool while you make the topping. Put all the topping ingredients into a pan and heat over a medium heat stirring till the mixture boils. Remove from the heat, cool a little then pour over the base. Spread evenly and allow to cool and set. Cut into fingers and serve. Store in an airtight container.

FUDGEY CHOCOLATE PEAR CAKE
115g (4oz) margarine or butter
115g (40z) soft brown sugar
1 tablespoon golden syrup
140g (5oz) self raising flour
30g (1oz) cocoa powder
2 eggs – beaten
2 pears – peeled, cored and chopped

Turn on the oven at 180C (160C fan) 350F, Gas 4. Oil and line a square baking tin20cm (8in). Cream the margarine, sugar and syrup till light, beat in the eggs and then fold in the sifted flour, cocoa and chopped pears. Pour into the prepared tin, even the top of the cake, tap the base of the tin on a hard surface to remove any trapped air. Bake in the middle of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes till risen and firm and the point of a skewer inserted in the middle comes out cleanly. Cool in the tin. Serve warm with cream or ice cream as a dessert, or cold dredged with vanilla sugar as an afternoon tea cake.

Kindly written by Liz Ashworth for Gordon Castle Walled Garden.

‘Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness, Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun:
Conspiring with him how to load and bless, with fruit the vines that round the thatch-eves run, to bend with apples the moss’d cottage trees.

The first lines of Keat’s often quoted poem ‘ Ode to Autumn’ were never more apt this year at Gordon Castle gardens where the fruit trees are indeed ‘loaded and blessed.’

The prolific blossom and good pollination of spring has resulted in a bumper crop of plums, apples and pears. The plums are almost past, but already a ton of apples has been harvested from the trees growing round the sheltering garden walls. The walls retain the sun’s heat and as a result the fruit here ripens first allowing the apple harvest to be done in two steps. Head gardener, Ed Bollom, reckons there will be a further ton of apples from the step over and espaliered trees in the garden grounds; now a feast for the eyes from vivid reds, russets, to greens and golds as they ripen in the abiding sun.

Harvested apples sent to Elgin’s Orchards will be pressed into Gordon Castle fresh Apple juice, a favourite drink on the Café menu also on sale in the garden shop.

Gordon castle apples and pears too travel to Aberdeenshire to be made into next year’s supply of Seidear. This is a Scottish cider made by keeving and the methode champenoise which takes a year to mature. Gordon Castle Seidear apple champenoise is for sale in the shop.

A bumper crop of pears this year, considering that the trees have only been in the ground for six years, Ed, the head gardener is delighted. Some pears have already been harvested and the espaliered trees are literally hanging with ripening fruits.

Exciting news, ‘a date for your diary!’ On Thursday 29^th September at 8pm on BBC1 The Beechgrove Garden will feature a visit to the gardens which took place earlier in the month on the 2^nd September. Not to be missed!

September has also seen a visit from the Chairman of Christie’s to present the Historic Houses Garden Award. The photos say it all!

Pruning the crab apple trees at the garden entrance is in hand as the heavy crop of berries glowing crimson and gold continue to ripen in the warmth of the early autumn.  Not long now till harvest! Crab apple jelly is especially tasty served with festive roasts.

Potatoes have been a success this year. Sarpo Una a new variety proved to give excellent quality including extra crisp chips and roast potatoes, ever popular charlottes are over for another year. At present the gardeners are harvesting Kestrel which is slightly waxy, good all round qualities, makes good roasters and bakes to a delicious creamy centre. We look forward to main crop Caledonian Rose which will be ready soon.

There are carrots, courgettes, beetroot and runner beans to harvest . The small crop of melons were delicious this year, sweet and juicy. The chillies are so prolific that there are plans to dry and tie them into strings. A great way to add heat to cooking!!

Moray Food Bank is benefiting from the abundant fruit and vegetable harvest with a weekly donation from the gardens. It is good to have the opportunity to share.

As I write the gardeners are trimming the lavender bushes, a heady perfume pervades as do the bright colours of late summer blooms. Dahlias of every size shape and hew, bright cheeky asters, the never ending sweet peas who like the cooler sheltered climate here.

Not to forget the smiling welcoming cosmos growing here in profusion.  This September Scottish garden is full of colour as the flowers continue to grow in the cooling air.

And what of the pumpkins? We hope for a surprise come October for at present they are hidden under a mass of bright nasturtium flowers! Wait and see!!

The café serves freshly cooked food from Wednesday to Sunday each week. This season there is a bounty of garden produce to inspire the menu.

That same garden produce is for sale in the Potting Shed Shop where you can pick up a taste of the gardens or a beautiful bouquet to remind you of your visit as you leave.

Haste ye back to a warm welcome and the chance to wander and enjoy mother nature at her glowing best.

CIDER BAKED SWEET CHILLI AUTUMN FRUIT AND VEGETABLES
Serves 4 to 6 people

2 courgettes – washed and chopped into large chinks
4 large tomatoes – quartered
1 large leek – trimmed, washed and cut into slices
1 winter squash – peeled, seeded and cut into chunks
8 small potatoes – scrubbed and quartered
2 medium carrots – peeled and cut into chunks
2 large eating or cooking apples – cored and cut into thick slices
(you can add pears peaches, nectarines or plums)

Sauce:-
½ bottle Gordon Castle cider
2 generous tablespoons honey
2 tablespoon rapeseed or sunflower oil

Seasoning:-
Chilli flakes or chopped fresh chilli ( remove the seeds)
Salt and ground black pepper

Heat the oven to 200C (180/c fan) 400F, Gas 6.  Line a deep roasting tin with tin foil.  Toss the prepared vegetables and fruit into a deep bowl. Mix the sauce ingredients together pour over Mix well to coat the vegetables and fruit and then pour into the roasting tin. Pour any juices over the top.  Season with salt, pepper and a sprinkling of chilli flakes.  Roast in the oven for 20 minutes the spoon over to roast the underside. Roast for a further 15 minutes till the vegetables and are tender. Adjust seasoning if required and serve hot. Can be used as a base for soup, or served cold mixed with a salad dressing.

AUTUMN APPLE SPONGE CAKE
Makes a cake 20cm (8in) diameter
Bake at 190C (170C fan) 375 F, Gas 5

Sponge:-
3 large eggs
75g (2 ½ oz) caster sugar
30g (1oz) honey
75g (2 ½ oz) self raising flour
20g ( ¾ oz) rolled oats
1 large cooking apple or 2 eating apples – peeled cored and sliced thinly.

Icing to finish:-
Icing sugar
Lemon juice

Turn on the oven to heat the oil and line the tin. Whisk the eggs, sugar and honey till thick and creamy.  Sift in the flour and add the oats. Stir in gently and then pour into the prepared tin and spread evenly. Lay apple slices in overlapping rows over the surface of the sponge and then bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the middle of the oven. Remove from the oven when firm and springy to touch. Cool in the tin. Drizzle with lemon water ice when cool, cut and serve freshly baked.

RUSTIC CIDER APPLE CHEESE SCONES
A quick scone recipe easily made at the last minute.

175g (6oz) self raising flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
45g (1 ½ oz) grated eating apple
45g (1 ½ oz) chopped walnuts
60g (2oz) grated mature cheddar cheese
½ teaspoon salt
60g (2oz) melted butter
1 egg beaten with
Gordon Castle cider to mix
Handful of rolled oats
Turn on the oven to heat at 200C (180C fan) 400F, Gas 6. Oil and line a baking tray.  Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl, add the apple, walnuts, cheese and a small handful of oats and mix together. Stir in the melted butter then stir in the egg with enough cider to make a soft, elastic dough. Flour the baking tray and turn the scone mix out onto the middle of it. Dust with flour and pat out to a round approx 2.5cm (1in) thick. Mark into 8 wedges with the blade of a knife. Bake in the oven for 12 to 15 minutes till risen and golden. Cool on the tray. Cut into wedges and eat warm and freshly baked.

Kindly written by Liz Ashworth for Gordon Castle Walled Garden