Cluny is a woodland garden above the Tay, dominated by two giant sequoias and a wealth of Himalayan and North American treasures. The garden was created by Bobby and Betty Masterton from 1950, with the planting of hundreds of trees and shrubs and thousands of spring bulbs and tubers. Seeds of many plants came from collections from the Himalayas.
The soil, humidity and climate are perfect for growing Asiatic primulas, including early flowering petiolarid species. From May, the candelabra species appears, providing carpets of purple, orange, yellow, pink, red and white whorled primulas seeding themselves freely onto the paths. The Arisaema family, commonly called the cobra lily, has some spectacular species, including Ariseama griffithii, which has a large green and maroon striped and spotted spathe arising from the ground like the hooded shape of a cobra – you either love them or loathe them. The giant Himalayan lilies put on tremendous growth into their flowering stems, reaching around two metres at flowering time towards the end of June.
Although Cluny is full of botanical interest, being organic there is also a wealth of wildlife, including several species of bumblebees and butterflies, toads, frogs, bats and many woodland birds. Wildflowers are also abundant in the spring, including a mass of bluebells. However, major interest and delight to visitors is the healthy population of easily seen red squirrels.
There is a lot to see in Cluny in May, with rhododendrons in flower, aquilegias, blue Himalayan poppies, late Trilliums and some rare and unusual species. Cluny House Gardens is a member of not-for-profit garden tourism group Discover Scottish Gardens.
Website: www.clunyhousegardens.com
TELEPHONE: 07818 065966
OPENING TIMES: 10am to 6pm daily
ADMISSION COSTS: £5 for adults, £1 for children under 16, annual season ticket £10.
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