Gardens in Duns open to public for first time in over 40 years
A historic walled garden and glasshouses in the Borders are to open to the public for the first time in more than 40 years.The last public viewing at the site now run by The Hugo Burge Foundation (HBF) near Duns was in 1981.The foundation is taking part in Scotland's Garden Scheme which encourages owners to open their gardens to raise money for charity.As part of the initiative, the walled gardens and glasshouses will be open every Friday afternoon in July and August.
The glasshouses were built in the early 20th Century by Mackenzie and Moncur, who counted Queen Victoria among their clients.The estate owner at the time, Robert Finnie McEwan, commissioned the company to design and build them as part of a grand development plan for the house and garden.They fell into disrepair before the late Hugo Burge financed their restoration and are now at the heart of the work of the foundation which carries his name.
Head gardener Toby Loveday said: "The driving force behind opening the gardens is to allow people to appreciate our beautiful surroundings at the peak of summer."We're looking forward to seeing the reaction to our contemporary approach within such a historic horticultural space."As it develops, there will be opportunities for visitors to enjoy seeing the garden grow and change over all the seasons to come."HBF chief executive Lucy Brown said they hoped the site would offer visitors a "sense of beauty, nurture and calm that is often missing in the anxious and ever-present online world".
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