Small Gardens – some with amazing views
Small Gardens of Crail is an event which happens in the village every year in July. It’s an opportunity for the locals to open their small gardens to the public and raise money for charity under Scotland’s Gardens Scheme. It’s also a great day out. A chance to walk round the village and see some hidden gems.
Scotland’s Gardens is a charity which shares some of the money raised with local charities and the balance to the charities which SGS supports. As well as some stunning small gardens, the views from some of them afforded different views out to sea from interesting locations which I hadn’t necessarily been able to see before. The long image above was shot as a panorama from the gardens at The Anchorage above Crail Harbour – with the Customs House roof being prominent in the centre.
I’d started my wander around the village by heading up the appropriately named Rose Wynd to Castle Street where I found Jeni Auchinleck’s garden looking as beautifully kept as ever, with lots of interesting plants to see.
I loved the garden to the rear of one of the properties in Marketgate North, which you entered through a pend. It was crammed full of interest, but it was the surrounding walls and buildings which made it so special for me.
After taking a rest and some lunch at The Honeypot, and popping into the Crail Gallery for a Wee Blether (the name of one of Susie Lacome’s prints which I acquired for the cottage), it was on to the West End of Crail to see the Garden at 4 Cottage Row, pictured below, which had yet more interesting views over Crail Harbour.
Along at West Braes there was a small garden with one of my favourite plants – the blue Sea Holly or Eryngium maritimum. We’ve just transplanted one from our garden in Edinburgh up to the garden at Sandcastle Cottage, so I’m hoping it will turn this glorious blue colour too.
I loved the garden at Nethergate South which incorporated the old Abbey Walls – how amazing to have this in your garden to work round and as a backdrop to your planting, as well as more views out to the Isle of May.
A final mention for the garden I was most honoured to have a chance to walk round – that of Stephen Grieve of local business Crail Pottery. I have photographed and passed Stephen’s garden on countless occasions as I walk the path along the shore – usually en route to the shops. It’s always a testament to the amount of hard work he puts in, and is a real working garden where I found to my amazement that there were grapes growing in a sheltered lean-to, as well as all manner of fruit and vegetables. The slightly whiffy vats of rotting seaweed and probably chicken manure were obviously doing their job as fabulous organic fertiliser as there seemed to be a plentiful crop.
To find out more about Crail Small Gardens click on this link.
There are other gardens around Fife which are open more frequently, should you wish to visit – you’ll find a selection in our post 3 Gardens to Visit in Fife.
Crail Businesses mentioned: Crail Gallery, Crail Pottery.
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Blog updated January 2024
