Portmore House
Eddleston
Peebles PH45 8QU
Why should we visit?
Portmore House sits at the head of a small valley amongst the hills of Upper Tweedale. It’s a private home but in summer it opens its gates on Wednesday afternoons to allow visitors to enjoy its gardens, which are amongst the finest in the Borders, with a classical layout, contemporary accents and with clever use of planting providing surprising touches.
Story of the garden
Gardens have always played an important role at Portmore and by the time the house was built in 1850, the layout around it was already 40 years old, with beautiful mature trees and extensive planting.
Like many of Scotland’s great houses, neglect set in after two world wars and by the time the current owners arrived in 1979 a tree was growing through the central tower and the timbers were riddled with dry rot.
It took a decade to put all this right and it was only then that work could begin on the garden, which was overgrown with willow herb and brambles and had original Mackenzie and Moncur glasshouses that were so close to collapse that demolition seemed to be the only option. However investigation revealed that, despite their dilapidated appearance, the timbers were still strong and so restoration got underway.
Highlights
Today the centrepiece of the garden is a double herbaceous border that stretches from the entrance gate to the greenhouses, which are now fully restored. Inside there are scented pelargoniums, ripening grapes and espaliered cherries, while tucked away at the back is a Victorian grotto.
The formal garden was once the vegetable garden and produce still grows here in a decorative potager but today the one-and-a-half acres are divided up by clipped hedge and crisp allees, some frothing with colour and others elegant green corridors of grass and foliage. In other areas massed plantings of Rosa rugosa grow beneath swags of clematis.
Don’t Miss
At the far side of the house, a formal pool provides an area for calm reflection, while an intricate knot garden has proved to be an effective solution to what could have been a tricky space.
A dramatic water garden that has been made by diverting one of the streams that comes tumbling off the hillside.
Anything Else to Look Out For?
Portmore is 900ft above sea level and the temperature here is frequently five degrees colder than in Edinburgh, so the planting list has been refined over the years to exclude anything unreliable. Today it provides a masterclass in gardening in a harsh climate, with Geranium psilostemon, Echinops retro ‘Veitch’s Blue’, Lupins ‘Masterpiece’ and ‘Thundercloud’ and Phlox paniculatum ‘Blue Paradise’, providing a back-bone of long-lasting colour.
Dahlias are an important ingredient, adding height and saturated colour that lasts well into autumn and favourite varieties include D. ‘Karma Choc’ and D. ‘Purple Flame.”
These are overwintered in Portmore’s old apple store before being moved into the glasshouses in early spring and are only watered when the first shoots start to appear.
Best time to visit
Portmore opens in July and August, when the herbaceous plantings are at their best.
Any recommendations in the area?
The Great Polish Map of Scotland in the grounds of the Barony Castle Hotel in nearby Eddleston, was created by a Polish war veteran who had settled in Scotland after marrying the nurse who treated his wounds. The structure, which measures 50m x 40m, and is set within a pool of water, has recently been restored. It is believed to be the largest 3D relief map in the world.
Directions:
Portmore House sits half a mile north of Eddleston on the A703 Edinburgh-Peebles road.
The garden is open on Wednesday afternoons until 31 August, 1pm - 5pm
Tickets: £6
Tel: 01721 730383
Www. Portmore gardens.co.uk
Open by appointment, 1 June until 31 August
And on Wednesday afternoons from 1 July until 31 August for Scotland’s Gardens Scheme.
Paxton House at Berwick Upon Tweed is one of the finest Palladian houses in the UK. Home to one family for 230 years, it was gifted to the nation in 1988, since when a Trust has maintained the house and its important collection of books, artworks and furniture by master craftsmen including Chippendale and Trotter.
The house is surrounded by formal gardens, sweeping grounds and extensive woodland, with walks along the banks of the River Tweed, picnic spots and play areas for children.
The spectacle in the gardens starts early in the year with daffodils and candelabra primulas, and in August the lavender border is in full bloom, along with the Edwardian herbaceous borders.
The estate includes a cafe, a shop and guest accommodation and every effort has been made to make Paxton accessible to wheelchair users.
Dogs are welcome, so visitors can bring the family pet along to enjoy the a day out in this classical setting.
Paxton House
Berwick Upon Tweed TD15 1SZ
In association with Discover Scottish Gardens. Www.discoverscottishgardens.org.
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