A Masterclass in Walled Garden Design – Tour Inside a 200-Year-Old Kitchen Garden Reimagined for a New Generation of Scottish Nobility
The Earl of Rosebery's private walled garden was neglected for decades. Now restored, it produces an abundance of organic produce and dazzling florals
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Just a short drive from Edinburgh, along the scenic Firth of Forth coast, lies the Rosebery Estate. Long managed by the Earls of Rosebery, this expansive Scottish estate is home to many historical holdings, including the distinguished Barnbougle Castle. But, the true jewel in the crown is tucked away in a quieter corner: Dalmeny Walled Garden.
From the outside, the 20ft high walls leave much to the imagination, but step inside and the senses are immediately awakened. A large Victorian-style glasshouse takes center stage, as flower beds burst with color either side, arranged like chocolate boxes of flowering perennials. A small sheep pen offers a charming surprise, while a dedicated permaculture area makes a persuasive case for wild planting woven into formal walled garden design.
Feeding Generations of Roseberys
‘A walled garden is like a room: its decoration and layout evolve as ways of life and tastes change' – Lady Jane Kaplan
Entering through the south wall, you’re welcomed by the magnificent sight of the garden’s 1904 glasshouse.
It’s just one of several historic features here. A closer look at the walls reveals fireplaces and internal heated flues from the the garden’s original 1818 construction by renowned garden architect John Hay, commissioned by the 4th Earl of Rosebery.
Built on a gentle slope to guide cold air out and keep warm air in, the garden was a highly productive kitchen garden, supplying fruit, vegetables, and cut flowers for the estate and even London markets.
After the world wars, the garden was no longer heavily relied upon for food, but Lady Jane recalls it remained prized for growing show-winning produce.
‘Mr. Donald was the gardener when I was growing up in the 1960s. I remember him as rather fierce, and the walled garden – which my siblings and I needed permission to visit – as very regulated. It was somewhat of a forbidden place in which we were to stay away from the produce,' she describes.
Over the following decades, the garden was gradually reclaimed by nature as its use continued to decline. Chest-high weeds took hold and sections of the original walls began to crumble.
That was until 2018, when Lady Jane decided to begin restoring it, returning it to productivity once again – this time as a space she no longer has to sneak into to enjoy.
Lady Jane Kaplan, sister of the 8th Earl of Rosebery (formerly Harry Dalmeny), has been instrumental in the transformation of Rosebery Estates over recent decades. Michael Kaplan, Jane’s husband, is a writer and historian, originally from the United States. For the past 35 years, the couple have worked in partnership in corporate and commercial communication.
Infusions Grown for Exquisite Flavor
Dalmeny Walled Garden is full of treats for the tastebuds
Sitting in front of the glasshouse, herb garden beds are laid out in neat rows, giving the space a distinctly formal feel.
The herbs are planted from A to Z, with 35 plants per block, including unusual varieties such as wormwood and yarrow. It’s a stylistic choice that is not only visually striking but also creates an easy-to-navigate herb bank.
‘We have lots of medicinal plants here to reflect medieval herb garden tradition, where each plant has a culinary, medicinal, or aromatic purpose,’ says Joseph Sheppard, Head Gardener. ‘Milk thistle, for example, has long been used for liver protection.’
Besides providing delicious flavors for the estate, many of the plants are also used in the Wermod Great British Vermouth created by Lady Jane and her husband Michael.
‘We also have a bank of herbaceous perennials in the borders nearby,’ Joseph adds. ‘The lemon verbena is one of the most pungent and enticing.’
Edible spring flowers, like Californian poppies, are also found here, adding fiery pops of colour as well as peppery tastes to salads and garnishes.
‘They’re all true varieties,’ Joseph explains. ‘If they end up naturally spreading, they won't be invasive and can actually help increase biodiversity.
'Previous gardeners here would have used chemicals to control this, but we take an organic approach, allowing plants to grow where they wish and transplanting them to our wildflower meadow if they end up in an undesired spot,' he adds.
Joseph considers his role as head gardener as ‘the opportunity of a lifetime’. Having grown up on a small farm in the northwest Highlands with its own walled garden, he was encouraged to pursue a career working outdoors. He studied Herbal Medicine at Napier University, before taking a job as a pebble mosaic artist whilst also doing forestry work.
Dalmeny's Signature Colors of Summer
Dalmeny has everything from dinnerplate dahlias to dwarf varieties
As summer arrives in Dalmeny Walled Garden, the flower beds burst into a riot of color.
One of the signature flowers of the season is dahlias, encompassing the glasshouse on either side in two impressive beds.
'We have two mirrored patches of dahlias, though each one is filled with completely different varieties,' explains Andy Entwistle, Gardener at Rosebery Estates.
It's a true feast for the eyes by late summer, with all colors and shapes competing for attention.
'We know dahlias were grown here, but there were no specific varieties listed in the original plans,' says Lady Jane. 'So now we plant varieties based on demand,' she adds.
They're grown for floral arrangements in the estate's properties, as well as for the Scottish Flower Grower Collective.
Some of the most dazzling varieties include the magenta 'Thomas Edison' (which you can purchase as tubers from Amazon), orange 'Hollyhill Spiderwoman,' and the yellow-red 'Mrs. H. Brown.'
Andy reveals the secret behind such a spectacular display comes down to putting the effort in every fall.
'We dig up each individual tuber, overwinter the dahlias in perlite or vermiculite in crates, and then replant them in spring,' he explains. 'It's the most reliable way to ensure abundant blooms every year.'
Andy developed a love for gardening early in life, through the influence of his father and next-door neighbour – both of whom taught him to tend plants and flowers, as well as growing vegetables. After studying permaculture and organic gardening – with a focus on design for nature and community space – he began working as a landscape gardener on the Isle of Wight.
Blooms of every color come out in the summer months
The south and eastern borders are just as colorful, with the likes of coneflowers, salvia 'Hot Lips,' and foxgloves bringing splashes of pink. Clever use of tightly packed geraniums, lady's mantle, and verbena offers natural edging and weed suppression.
'The east wall was the last to be restored, completed last year,' says Lady Jane. 'In total, the garden needed 20,000 handmade bricks laying, many of which we managed to salvage and repurpose from the original walls.'
'Planting up the east wall has been so exciting,' Joseph adds. 'It's the last one and really sets every element of the garden in place.
'Having said that, we're always changing up what we grow, and even grow the same plants on different walls for successional planting, providing a continuous harvest and display of blooms,' he explains.
'We're constantly developing and tweaking, trying different growing techniques and placement,' Andy adds. 'There's no single formula, it's about working with nature while meeting the demands of the garden and being creative in the process.'
Continuing the Tradition of Dalmeny's Harvest
Fall brings fruit harvests of peaches, grapes, figs, apples, pears, plums, and more
Peak harvest season in fall brings Dalmeny Walled Garden back to its roots as a kitchen garden.
Espaliered fruit trees of apples and pears adorn walls with shiny fruit around the entire garden. Many of them are between 80-100 years old.
'It's a disciplined pruning and training technique to espalier fruit trees,' says Joseph. 'You essentially remove the apical bud (the upward leader) to encourage lateral growth and tie the side branches in place,' he describes.
One of the particularly important heritage varieties here is the 'Lord Rosebery' apple – a Scottish dessert apple from 1934, named in honor of the 5th Earl of Rosebery and UK Prime Minister, Archibald Philip Primrose.
One thing Lady Jane and her team were keen to maintain through the restoration is a sustainable gardening approach. Nothing goes to waste here.
'If the apples aren't harvested to be eaten, we make apple juice and apple cider vinegar, among other things,' Joseph explains.
Even plant material that can't be added to the garden's four compost bays is thrown into a bonfire to create ash for the garden, a natural soil improver.
'Ash actually helps with carbon sequestration, drawing it out of the atmosphere,' explains Joseph. 'As a soil amendment, it retains nutrients and aids aeration,' he adds.
Some of Dalmeny's more unusual crops include Japanese wineberries and a sichuan pepper shrub
Beside the herb beds, a dedicated vegetable patch is home to a wide range of crops, including marrows, leafy vegetables, and peas.
Walking through, your eyes are drawn downward to the sound of a striking white path made of crushed seashells – a trace left behind from Lady Jane's childhood.
'My sister and I collected white shells from the beach and crushed them up to fill paths in the garden,' she reminisces. 'As we worked through the debris and cleared the nettles, we found them again and have now repurposed them here,' she explains.
Finding a Place for Permaculture
Permaculture gardening brings sustainable land management to Dalmeny
Something quite unique to Dalmeny Walled Garden is the permaculture area, located towards the south side of the garden. It contrasts to the other curated areas, but simultaneously fits in.
With taller grass, fruit trees, and flowering shrubs effortlessly growing in companionship, it's been intentionally designed to harness a natural ecosystem.
'This area was largely here already, we just reorganized it to maximize it as a wildlife patch,' explains Joseph.
'It's amazing how biodiverse the walled garden is because of it. We even have frogs and toads which help control slugs, as well as an incredible amount of beneficial insects helping with pollination,' he describes.
Natural arches formed by curving branches give this space an enchanting feel, inviting you to explore down a meandering path and connect with the natural world.
Just beyond, a charming sheep pen comes into view, housing grazing sheep.
'We also used Mangalitza pigs to help clear all the overgrowth and weeds when we started the restoration,' says Lady Jane. 'They naturally till the soil and left it fine, well-draining, and workable,' she adds.
Inside the Glasshouse
The glasshouse has been restored to preserve its historical character
Determined to make Dalmeny a garden for all seasons, the restoration of the glasshouse was fundamental for Lady Jane.
Nearly every glass pane had to be replaced, each one a parallelogram at a 4° angle, proving to be a challenge. But, now secure, it's a vital growing space for Joseph and Andy.
Seeds are sown indoors here, plants are overwintered, cuttings are propagated, and the most tender plants are grown in the beds.
'We switch out the planting in here a lot,' says Andy. 'Once the sweet peas are done, we'll put in vegetables like tomatoes, and so on.'
Some of the garden's most exotic plants are housed here, including intricate passion flowers that vine up the slanted glass roof, succulents, and begonias.
Now redesigned to incorporate an event space, the center room of the glasshouse offers a beautiful dining area, immersed in the garden's landscape.
The glasshouse provides valuable growing space for the plants that aren't hardy to the Scottish climate
Looking worlds apart from the disarray of a decade ago, Lady Jane and her team have truly transformed Dalmeny Walled Garden into a serene escape, to soak up the joys of growing, connect with nature, and spend time with loved ones.
'For many years, the walled garden was a depressing place, completely taken over by weeds. Even now, when opening the door, I feel a frisson of fear that I’m not supposed to be there – or that nothing has changed,' says Lady Jane.
'The nicest thing for me is the pleasure the restoration has given the whole family – from my 94-year-old mother to my 3-year-old grandson, they all love to be there.'
Dalmeny Walled Garden is bursting with beautiful garden ideas to be inspired by. Whatever your plans for your own garden, make sure to be equipped with essential kit to bring your vision to life:
These long-sleeved floral gardening gloves protect your arms and hands from injury when tending to plants. The palms and fingers are leather for reinforcement.
This beautiful canvas garden apron has multiple pockets to hold tools while you tend to your garden. It has a neck and waist tie for a comfortable fit.
This garden tool kit and caddy has everything you need to kickstart your tool collection. It includes essential tools, gardening gloves, a spray bottle, and the floral caddy.
