Our Garden

Seasonal Update - April

We are certainly having longer light in the evenings and sometimes the sunshine to go with it.  But it is still cold at night.   We are awaiting  the arrival of new plants .  The cut flower patch has a selection of Spring bulbs coming through. They could do with a few days of sunshine to help them along the way.  Summer flowering seeds and bulbs for cut flowers are ready to be planted as soon as the ground is warm enough.  We have a good selection of garden birds in the garden including the Tree Creeper which was spotted last week.  Bird feeders do not stay full for long.  The bees are hard at work and the odd butterfly has been seen.   Finally the weeds are certainly coming out easier, also at this time of the year the root system is not as well established or deep.

Highland Spirit Bed and Breakfast garden is always changing.     We aim to have a least something is colour all year round.  This is a challenge in Dufftown although it may be wet or very dry we also have the wind to contend with.

Snowdrops are followed by crocus, grape hyacinth, early, late and double headed tulips in a variety of colours, primroses, drumstick primula and of course not forgetting the daffodil.  There are some Balvenie daffodils which flower in May.

By May providing we have not had too much snow, a late frost or the deer over indulging the perennials will be showing healthy signs of growth.

The rhododendrons are in full bloom late May and into June.  New ones were planted in 2017 so an even better display is expected in the coming years.

Whisky Mac roses were planted as bare root at the end of 2016.  They come into flower in July and also have a lovely sent.

Lavender and Buddleja are attracting the bees in August and September.  Last year I was sure it was the same 5 bees that came back every day to the lavender in the stone trough.

Summer bedding  is often petunias and antirrhinums lasting well to the first frost.

In autumn the copper beach tree puts on a magnificent display. The dog wood loose, their leaves but leave behind red and green stems. The sedums are still flowering and when you go out first thing in the morning the bees are still sleeping on them.

In November new Spring bulbs will be planted and of course the leaves need to be gathered for leaf mould to be used in the garden in a few years time.

In December Helleborous come into flower and continue to do so for many months.

This is just a little taste of what our garden has.  We hope you will be able to come and stay at Highland Spirit Bed and Breakfast and see for yourself.

The last word is left to weeds as they can be found in the garden whatever time of the year!

We hope you enjoy our garden and any tips are always welcome.

Green Ethos

Here at Highland Spirit we do our bit to help the environment:

• Food miles are kept to a minimum using local shops where possible.
• Our food is well managed so nothing has to be thrown away.
• We make compost from the fruit peelings, teabags, coffee grinds and garden waste including the leaves.
• Packaging, glass & plastic bottles, tins, newspapers, cardboard, and bags are all recycled. Please leave them next to your bin for us to recycle.
• Change from plastic to wooden cotton buds.
• Karen will line dry bed linen and towels. Scottish weather dependant of course.  Towels and bed linen are not automatically change.  Please leave your towels in the shower if you wish them to be changed.
• All our appliances are A rated and above.
• Low energy light bulbs are used. Lights are switched off in rooms when not required.
• Our lamp post lights on the drive all use solar power.
• The walls and the roof have been insulated.
• Optimal heating and hot water systems have been installed.
• Our log burner burns left over whisky staves and compressed shavings from the vat making process. The ash is then returned to the garden.