At last the weather has warmed and most cold winds have eased… we hope!

The Walled Garden shelters vegetable beds are bursting with growth. Twelve varieties of lettuce like little gem and salad bowl, interspersed with different leaves like freckles whose mottled leaves look the part! To add interest, a French heirloom variety ‘Marvel of Four Season (Merville de quatre saison) whose attractive pink tinged leaves are described as having crisp texture and a fine flavour. The prolific salad leaves are harvested fresh daily to supply the busy Garden Café.

The thriving brassica beds already provide kale and calibrese with any extra offered for sale at the Potting Shed Shop.

What a variety of vegetables are growing in the Garden this year! broad beans, french beans, sugar snap, mangetout, carrots, courgettes, cauliflower, leeks, onions, beetroot, spinach, swiss chard, – whew- and more!! Many potatoes are already in flower. Well known varieties like charlotte, rocket and pink fir apple are interspersed with new tatties to try such as swift, foremost and purple flowering caledonian rose.

In the small greenhouse chillies, melon and cucumber are growing well. Tomatoes in the large greenhouse already show promising trusses of fruit.

In the soft fruit garden the first strawberries are ready to pick. I could not resist tasting one as a ‘quality control check’ and I can verify the fruit is as sweet and flavoursome as any Scottish strawberry. You cannot beat strawberries grown outside in the full sun, perfection! Gooseberries, black and red currants hang in profusion as they ripen, forming fruits of raspberries and brambles promise an abundant crop later in the summer.

Lavender is on the cusp of full flower, that unique time when tips of purple and white emerge swaying gently in the breeze, a rippling sea of tiny flowers. All is buzzing with bees and the Garden’s six hives tended by beekeeper Jim will soon yield the first honey of the year.

Planted up, rapidly greening and budding, the cut flower beds offer a hint of the riot of colour soon to illuminate the Garden. The first sweet peas, gold and blue flag irises are joined by sedate delphiniums and fox gloves watching over the scene in quiet grandeur. The first trial bed cosmos flowers have come into bloom.

The central borders look lush and green and surprises of colourful blooms are silently emerging through the foliage.

The wild flower meadows will soon be filled with every different shape, size and colour of flower you could imagine but in the grass maze there is a special discovery to find, a beautiful wild orchid. Walk through the maze, listen to the plaintive cry of the oysters catchers trying to divert your attention from their young, keep looking and you will find this purple treasure.

The wild flowers are just about to bloom in the sweet pea meadow and the crab apple orchard, not long now!

The Potting Shed Shop is selling a huge variety of plants so you can take some of the beauty of Gordon Castle Gardens home to enjoy. Verbena, pelargoniums, argyranthemums, herbs, salad plants and hand tied early summer flower bouquets. Along with fresh vegetables as they are harvested.

Enjoy peace and tranquillity in the garden greeted by the open arms of summer glory!

Perhaps visit the Walled Garden Café serving freshly cooked meals using garden produce wherever they can. Open 11am till 4pm Wednesday till Sunday.

‘ Haste ye back’ there is always a warm welcome.

ERDBEER KUCHEN
German Strawberry cake
Makes a round tin 20cm (8in

• 2 eggs
  60g (2oz) caster sugar
  60g (2oz) melted butter
  1 teaspoon vanilla essence
  100g  (3 ½ oz) plain flour
  1 teaspoon baking powder
  Pinch of salt
  175g (6oz)  strawberries
  Raspberry or strawberry jam

Heat the oven to 190C (170C fan) 375F, Gas 5. Oil and line the base of the tin with greaseproof paper. Whisk the eggs and sugar together till they are thick and creamy, stir in the butter, flour and baking powder very gently to keep as much air as possible in the mixture. Pour into the prepared tin and tap on the counter to ensure it is evenly spread and to remove any air bubbles. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes till risen and firm to touch. Cool a little in the tin then remove from the tin by loosening the sides with the blade of a knife. Place the cake sponge side down onto a wire cooling rack, tap gently on the bottom of the inverted tin and the cake should drop out onto the rack.

When cool spread the top thinly with jam. Trim and slice the strawberries and lay overlapping on top of the jam spread cake. Melt the rest of the jam with a little water and brush gently over the fruit to glaze. Enjoy freshly baked.

Kindly written by Liz Ashworth for Gordon Castle Walled Garden.

May merrily tiptoed in accompanied by the distinctive cry of oyster catchers heralding an explosion of vibrant colour across the garden, where over three thousand tulip blooms illuminate tubs and flower beds;  from rich golds, to pastel pinks, ruby reds and every colour in between.  Tulips are a member of the lily family so where did they originate?

During the sixteenth century when the Ottoman Empire invaded the Kazakhstan they discovered tulips growing wild in the mountains there. The Emperor Sultan Suleyman the first so prized the flowers that they became a symbol of wealth and power. Often worn on the turban, the name tulip is derived from the word ‘tulipan’ the Persian word for a turban.

The garden is filling up becoming brighter and greener by the day. It is all go as the soil heats and the sun shines blossom covers the fruit trees, the incredible futuristic alium domes will soon be in flower, plants are donning a mantle of bright green and the trees are coming into tender leaf as if someone has shaken a pepper pot of green over their bare branches. In the soft fruit garden strawberries are in flower, raspberry canes are thriving and already clusters of would be berries are forming on the currant bushes.

The crab-apple orchard is already forty shades of green as the seedling break through the earth and the trees sway gently in the soft breeze.  In the pastel wild flower meadow the sweet peas have already begun the ascent of their birch wigwam homes surrounded by sprouting wild flower seedlings.

As busy as the bees collecting nectar and pollinating are the gardeners as they tackle the job of weeding and planting. The colder weather delayed the big plant out and now it is definitely full on!  Over one thousand vegetable, cut flower and herb plants have been waiting in the greenhouse wings to join the main cast in the garden so there is plenty to do!  Twelve varieties of heritage tomatoes are now potted up and installed in the large greenhouse. With intriguing names like Golden Crown, Black Opal, Ailsa Craig and the delicious stripped Tigerella ( as the name suggests)  to name a few; already we look forward to a ‘tasty tom!’

The first salads, broad beans, peas, potatoes, carrots, leeks, onions, brassicas  and more – what a harvest to come!

An urgent job is to replace the rosemary hedges which divide the areas of the herb garden. They were adversely affected by very low temperatures during the winter of 2021. At last five hundred healthy young bushes have arrived to replace them. As the old bushes are removed and the new ones take their place imagine the wonderful aromas which will pervade the gardens!

Round the tulips in the flower beds the gardeners are planting hardy annuals such as cornflower, calendula and aquilegia and dahlias will soon be joining them. What a wealth of colourful flowers of all shapes and sizes will grace the garden in the months to come. The first plants are now installed in the cut flower trial beds.

A fabulous burst of colour ranunculus (a form of buttercup) is to be found in the large greenhouse. The Queen of Sweden and Roald Dhal roses opposite are budding profusely. Roses too are on the way.

At last the asparagus has born fruit or should I say ‘spear’, such a short season eagerly anticipated but worth the waiting. The rhubarb this year is prolific. Providing plenty of produce for the restaurant which serves freshly prepared meals and snacks daily Wednesday to Sunday from 11am till 4pm.

Both asparagus and rhubarb are for sale in the Potting Shed Shop. Perhaps best to pre-order asparagus so it can be cut fresh for you.

The Potting shed shop also has a huge selection of plants for sale. Lettuces, tomatoes, vegetables, chillies, herbs, perennial and annual flowers ready to plant in your own garden as the growing season begins in earnest. Don’t delay now is the time to get them into the ground!

Let us all hope for good sunny weather to welcome back the ever popular Highland games on 15^th May where there will be a sale of The Walled Garden plants such as various vegetables, tomatoes, chillies, flowers and herbs.

Not to mention ‘Recipes from The Walled Garden’ ;a handy cookbook.

So you can buy it, grow it and then cook it. Saving food miles.

Come visit for a daily dose of nature’s benefits as one gardener called it ‘Vitamin G’’

‘A flowery green, bird-singing land’ (William Henry-Davies).

There is great solace in the garden.

There is prolific crop of rhubarb this year, here are some simple recipes to try at home!

Quick rhubarb and ginger relish
A last minute invention by my chef friend Christopher Trotter, delicious with roasts and smoked meats and fish.
Heat a little oil in a wok or frying pan. Add a little mustard seed, chopped root ginger and a little de-seeded chopped chilli.  Stir fry quickly then toss in plenty chopped rhubarb and stir fry to coat and soften. Slosh in a little cider or fruit vinegar, add a generous spoon of soft brown sugar along with a little salt and pepper. Reduce the heat and cover the pan to steam cook for up to 3 or 4 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning and serve as a relish/chutney. Pour into clean jars, seal and store in the fridge up to two weeks.

The Walled Garden rhubarb and custard crumble cake
Makes a tray bake 20cm (8in) x 30cm (12in)
225g (8oz) butter
175g (6oz) caster sugar
60g (2oz) golden syrup
200g (7oz) self raising flour
45g (1 ½ oz) custard powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
4 eggs – beaten
175g (4oz) chopped rhubarb

Topping:-
60g (2oz) butter
60g (20z) caster sugar
30g (1oz) self raising flour
85g (33oz) porridge oats

Heat the oven to 160C (140C fan) 325F, Gas 3. Oil the baking tin. Cream the butter, sugar and syrup till light. Sift the flour custard powder and baking powder into a bowl. Beat the egg into the butter mixture alternately with a little flour to prevent curdling. Fold in the rest of the flour along with the rhubarb and spread evenly in the tin. Melt the butter and stir into the other topping ingredients and scatter over the top of the cake. Bake in the middle of the oven for 30 to 35 minutes till risen and the point of a skewer inserted in the middle comes out cleanly. Cool in the tin cut into 18 squares and enjoy freshly baked.
 
Chewy rhubarb slice
5 weetabix or oatabix – crumbled
225g (8oz) Hamlyn’s porridge oats
1 teaspoon ground ginger
140g (5oz) soft brown sugar
115g (4oz) chopped rhubarb
115g (4oz) butter
115g (4oz) syrup

Heat the oven to 160C (140C fan) 325F, Gas 3. Oil a baking tin 20cm (8in) square. Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl. Melt the butter and syrup and stir into the mix Press evenly into the tin and bake in the middle of the oven for 25 to 30 minutes till golden but not too brown – you want it to be chewy. Cool in the tin. Mark into squares while still warm.

Kindly written by Liz Ashworth for Gordon Castle Walled Garden

Looking to spoil Mum this Sunday with a super yummy pudding? Try your hand at our Gin Garden Dessert.

This recipe is made up of a lavender and honey mousse, gin soaked garden berries, chocolate soil and edible flowers. It’s a great recipe because it looks much more complicated that it actually is! If you are making this with little ones simply leave out the gin for their pots or alternatively, make it alcohol free (it still tastes amazing!).

Start with the berries. For this you will need: 
200ml water
100g Sugar
50ml Gordon Castle Gin
400g mixed garden berries

Bring the water and sugar to the boil (add the Gin in now if you don’t want it to be so tipsy), and set aside to cool. When it’s at room temperature, glug it all over your berries. I’ve used blueberry, raspberry and garden redcurrants for mine, but any and all will come to life in the gin syrup.

Next, move onto the mousse. For this you will need…
A dozen fresh lavender heads
100g honey
500ml double cream
3 egg yolks
2 gelatin leaves
200ml milk

Put the lavender heads, gelatin and milk into a pan. Heat gently with a lid on, when it come to a near boil, remove the pan from the heat and wrap the top with cling film, this will keep the flavour and aroma in. This process can be used to infuse milk with nearly any flavour, if you wish to be even more experimental. Leave the pan to rest and Infuse like this for at least half an hour.

Once rested, strain the pan in to another and put it back on to a gentle heat.

Meanwhile in a mixing bowl, beat your egg and honey until it turns a brilliant thick fluffy white. Slowly beat in your hot infused milk, once incorporated put the mix into a thick bottomed pan (this will stop your airy custard from getting a heat shock and splitting). Put it on a low gentle heat, and stir with a wooden spoon, once its thickened enough to coat the back of your spoon, remove from the heat and allow to cool.

Whisk your double cream until it’s just past a soft peak, and is just able to hold its shape. Gently fold about a quarter of your cream into the custard, when its consistency lightens you begin to fold the custard in to the cream (this process allows you to keep more air in the mousse as the less folds you make to the cream, the more air you’ll keep in).

And for the soil…
200g sugar
100ml water
200g dark chocolate
50g dark cocoa powder

Put the sugar and water in a thick bottomed pan and bring to the boil, then, reduce the heat, once the water evaporates your caramel can burn quickly, use a sugar temperature probe and once the sugar hits 120c stir in your cocoa and chocolate. The sudden drop in temperature causes the sugar to crystallise with the chocolate and viola. Every pastry chefs favourite plate sprinkle.

To finish, put it together…
We’ve used little ceramic flower pots but any bowl, mug, jug or glass will work. Spoon the boozy berries in and your mousse on top, and generously cover it in the chocolate soil.

So when we first created this it was the height of summer and we had lots of fresh flowers to choose from! As it’s March there isn’t much around so unless you have some potted plants indoors (although don’t go taking all the heads of Mum’s prize plants!), why not decorate the top with berries which you can buy in your local supermarket.