Newhall: historic walled garden

When you enter the 17th-century walled garden within the grounds of Newhall, the Scottish home of John and Tricia Kennedy, you can't help but dawdle. Even the wind seems noticeably subdued giving the garden an immediate sense of calm. It's particularly remarkable considering the garden's exposed elevation on the slopes of the Pentland hills some 30 minutes drive south of Edinburgh. 'I wish I could take credit for its thoughtful location, but people have gardened here for centuries,' reveals Tricia. 'However, I do battle to keep the ambience peaceful. I think John is still unaware the phone he had installed in the garden is unplugged when I'm gardening.'

The island is like a mini Jamaica, with a high rainfall and very fertile soil; an idyllic place for an inexperienced gardener to learn about nurturing plants. 'Nature is the greatest teacher and propagation is now very much a passion,' she enthuses. 'I find it hugely rewarding as well as economical.'

Imposing house

With the help of one gardener Mark Robertson, four days a week, Tricia started restoring Newhall's two-acre walled garden. Although it had an air of being unloved, luckily it was never allowed to totally let go. That was seven years ago. Now the walled garden contains eight different rooms joined by one central axis and framed by an outer perimeter pathway.

'The first thing we did was to move all the fruit into one area and plant annuals; not that I'm really into annuals - I find them too much work - but we needed some immediate colour while we planned what do to with the rest of the garden,' notes Tricia. 'We then spent a year observing. The task ahead was so daunting that instinctively we started out tackling lots of small projects, and that principle has kind of continued. We're not following any great master plan, just doing and learning from our efforts, which have slowly come together to make a fairly complete garden. The garden has really organised us.' Continued motivation with large projects can be difficult. By focusing on small areas at Newhall they found they were able to see a transformation fairly quickly and this kept their motivation levels high. 'I can't believe how much has changed,' says Tricia. 'One of my biggest regrets is that I didn't take more photographs right at the beginning. It's easy to be wise after the event.'

You get what you pay for. Having made the decision to buy a less expensive pond liner, the Kennedy's pond is still leaking. Celebrate your successes; learn from and laugh at your less-successful endeavours.

COMPANION PLANTING 'I'm a big fan of companion planting,' says Tricia. 'Nasturtiums are brilliant at attracting blackfly. They can be absolutely covered and the broad beans still remain pest-free next door. I'm not fond of marigolds, but tolerate them for their ability to attract hoverflies, which are voracious aphid predators. I find growing vegetables just as wonderful as growing flowers. There is nothing like seeing something you've grown from seed begin to develop and thrive with the added benefit of being able to eat it.'

CONSERVATORY Completed in 2007. The imposing Gothic house was once the home of actor Robert Hardy.

Eryngium bourgatii against vivid crocosmia

Inula hookeri against a purple beech hedge

FLOWERS Simple but effective – Inula hookeri is planted against a purple beech hedge (Betula pendula 'Purpurea'). A supporting post behind was painted green to be partially disguised. Tricia also dyes the heavy-duty garden twine green in her washing machine. 'I used to use the green garden twine that is widely available, but found it wasn't strong enough.'

Another striking colour combination is the light purple of sea holly (Eryngium bourgatii) against the sword-shaped leaves and bright-red flowers of crocosmia.

'Sedums are one of my favourite group of plants, particularly the soft green colour of the flowers before the blooms open,' says Tricia. In the garden Sedum 'Autumn Joy' complements the salmon-coloured flowers of Alstroemeria and the bronze-purple leaves of Viola labradorica.

FOLIAGE A good example of contrasting and complementary foliage: bergenia, berberis and cotoneaster are evergreen and provide an interesting display all year round. Hardy, late-summer-and autumn-flowering perennial Kirengeshoma palmata is herbaceous. 'It's one of my all time favourites,' explains Tricia. 'I just love its hand-shaped leaves (hence the name). Furthermore it doesn't spread and its reddish-purple stems and pale-yellow flowers stand out against the dark olive-green cotoneaster.'

GATES Gates provide a practical as well as an aesthetic focal point in a garden. Painted in a darker rather than a light shade means they do not show up the dirt so easily.

PATH Durable granite cobbles are widely used in Scotland. In this garden, a straight cobbled path makes the route through the garden clear.

POND The shallow pond is a new development in the last two years. It's four times the size of the one that was originally there, and Tricia would have liked it to have been bigger still, BUT the lawn doubles up as corporate entertaining space in late summer. Lining the edge is Iris laevigata, Rodgersia aesculifolia, Primula florindae, P. secundiflora and Ligularia dentata 'Britt Marie Crawford'.

SCULPTURES Many of the garden's concrete animals were stolen, and concrete cancer (a reaction within the mix that causes cracking) now blights the remaining pair of elephants. Tricia and John hope to replace the missing ones eventually.

SUNDIAL Encrusted with lichens, the sundial dates from 1709 and is older than the walled garden.

TREES Pyrus salicifolia is a useful tree for large or small gardens. At Newhall, they were planted two years ago and contrast nicely with the black metalwork of the arbour, as well as complementing a lead sculpture at the far end. Cloaked in lime-green moss, an urn with a backdrop of giant redwoods (Sequoiadendron giganteum) create a handsome composition. 'If nature was left unattended, the whole garden would be covered in a layer of moss and lady's mantle,' explains Tricia.