Greywalls Hotel
Duncur Road, Gullane, EH31 2EG
Greywalls was designed by Edwin Lutyens and built in 1901. Its gardens are often described as an ‘English Garden’ in Scotland and are a testament to great landscape design. Attributed to Gertrude Jeykll, the design has traversed the years superbly.
Over the last few years the gardens have undergone a period of rejuvenation. Hedges have been brought back into shape and borders opened and replanted to augment the existing design and extend the season of interest. Most notably the long borders leading to the Oeil-de-boeuf, the spectacular white flowered Crambe cordifolia, gives way to delightful pastel shades of blue and pinks as the season progresses. Here, highly scented roses and sweet peas complete the experience.
New plantings to the east of the garden see the spectacular Hydrangea paniculata ‘Limelight’ underplanted in a sea of Alchemilla mollis punctuated by standard clipped holly balls. This adds a new dimension and interest before you enter the Wild Garden, where free ranging hens mill around beehives and the grass is busy with wildflowers. Numerous butterflies, bumblebees and hoover flies throng on the Buddleias and Agapanthus.
The real triumph of this stunning landscape is the formal garden. Lutyens’ vision of a garden leading directly from the house is fully realised. Huge blue flowered Agapanthus line the terrace, where visitors can sit and enjoy lunch or afternoon tea. The garden moves swiftly to an extraordinary palette of hot colours – Helenium, Rudbeckia and Crocosmia capture the eye – and is a visual delight. The design is held together beautifully by the strong architectural shape of the clipped grey foliage of Pyrus salicifolia ‘Pendula’ and the central obelisks are smothered by Clematis tangutica ‘Bill Mackenzie’.
Greywalls Hotel has been owned by the Weaver Family since 1926 and is managed by ICMI.
Website: www.greywalls.co.uk
Telephone: 01620 842144
Opening times: Open all year round
Admission costs: Free when staying or using hotel facilities. £5.00 admission per person otherwise
Garden of the Week is in association with Discover Scottish Gardens. For more information, advice and day-out ideas, visit discoverscottishgardens.org
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