The story so far...

The house with a limited but well designed garden was purchased  as a weekend “retreat” in September 1988.

At the time we lived in Colinton in one of  Sir Robert Lorimer’s “ Colinton Cottages” which had a walled garden with sufficient space to accomodate a growing family and begin to collect interesting plants.

This included species rhododendrons which were supplied by the Glendoick nursery whose owner Peter Cox was a friend of a close neighbour, Hamish Gunn who  had created a rhododendron collection based mainly on the Cox and Hutchison expeditions to the Himalayas.

After a few years of building up both gardens it was decided to concentrate on Craigowan, whose garden had been extended by the acquisition of an adjacent paddock, and  to move most of the Colinton collection up there following landscaping and ground works. At the same time the Colinton house was sold.

That was the start of a continuous development programme of garden, plants and the house  in Perthshire which has continued ever since.

Our inexperience of  plants, ground conditions and weather suggested that seeking to create a specialist garden more or less from scratch was  very unwise.

A local and much respected  local horticulturist  who was helping made us aware that there were better locations within the County ,but we persevered.

There have been many  saddening losses and frustrations and whilst always regretting the slow expiry of a plant, a dreadful storm, a prolonged drought or unseen underground “ponding” or an attack from honey fungus and many other things we have kept on going and are pleased with the result and still ready for further challenge. New species additions and good quality interesting hybrid rhododendrons are still being planted.

The background of Highland hills and valleys is a perfect setting for the plants and makes all the problems seem worth the effort.