A tranquil place to linger amid the heady scent of heritage roses

Nestled amongst mature trees in the village of Balerno is one of the National Trust for Scotland’s smaller gardens. Malleny was laid out in the 17th century, when Edinburgh lay half a day away on horseback and exotic trees from far distant places had yet to make their mark on the landscape.
New introductions such as the species rhododendrons that grow outside the walls would eventually arrive at Malleny, but in essence the garden has remained true to its heritage and today it is a beautiful and tranquil spot where trees and flowers flourish in soil that has been cultivated for 400 years.
Central to the garden are the Four Evangelists, a group of ancient yew trees that once numbered 12 but which since the 1960s have been reduced in quantity. 
In a large and productive potager, the last of the season’s vegetables and flowers are putting on a final show, both in beds and in containers, while next to the house the ferns and hostas that surround a fountain pool are just going over.
In summer this is a lush spot amongst the froth of seasonal flowers that flourish elsewhere. The garden holds a fine collection of 19th-century shrub roses and the borders are filled with a mix of perennials and flowering shrubs that have been chosen carefully to provide a long season of interest. A pair of heritage greenhouses provides space for overwintering semi-tender plants and for bringing on seedlings in spring. This protection is essential in a garden that sits at 500ft above sea level, at the foot of the Pentland hills.
A central feature of the garden is the parterre, where seasonal flowers grow in square beds that are bordered with low hedges of red berberis.
Malleny Garden is open all year round and provides a tranquil spot to sit or wander, close to the city but still immersed in nature. It is cared for not just by National Trust for Scotland staff, but also by a group of enthusiastic volunteers from the local community.
The garden supports a resident population of birds and wildlife and although it has been altered several times since it was first set out, at heart it still retains its original lines.
Just outside the walls stands an unusual doocot with a saddleback roof. Once this would have provided meat for the house but today its role is purely decorative.
The walls that surround Malleny’s three acres of gardens help to concentrate the scents of the many fragrant plants that grow here, including winter-flowering shrubs. Undoubtedly though, the best time to enjoy the fragrance of Malleny is in June and July when the shrub roses are in flower. 
There are almost 200 of these and they form a Plant Heritage National Collection of 19th-century shrub roses.
Roses have been around since earliest times and they grow naturally in many parts of the world, but during the 19th century the arrival of roses from China and other places gave growers the opportunity to experiment with hybridisation and the result was an explosion in the kinds of roses that were available. 
Most at that time would flower just once a year, unlike modern varieties that repeat over the course of many months, but the beauty and scent of these ephemeral 19th-century blooms makes them still worth growing.
During the summer months, Malleny is a good place to enjoy these heritage plants. While they vary greatly in habit and appearance, many of them are still garden-worthy roses today.

Details:

Malleny Garden sits off the A70, eight miles west of Edinburgh. Lothian Buses run a regular service (No 44) from Edinburgh city centre to Balerno. 
Malleny is open daily, 10am-4pm. Entrance: £3/£1 (Young Scot). The garden is accessible for wheelchairs and buggies. Tel: 0131 665 1546.

www.nts.org.uk