Gardening experts shared their skills at Ayr Flower Show

A team of gardening experts from an Ayrshire estate have shared their knowledge and expertise with hundreds of horticulture enthusiasts at a popular flower and garden exhibition.

Brian Corr, head of gardens at Dumfries House, led a team of staff gardeners from the estate including Kris Muir, Julie Shaw and Scott Caddis to create an impressive display garden for the Ayr & District Flower Show to inspire visitors to create their own gardens at home.

Brian, who was appointed as head of gardens in spring 2016 to oversee the development of the estate, said: ‘Dumfries House is sat on a 2000-acre estate, 600 acres of which comprises woodland and gardens for visitors to enjoy.

‘We decided to use our expertise to create a display garden for the Ayr & District Flower Show to showcase excellence in design principles and to inspire people to think about creating their own gardens at home.’

Home to the largest known collection of Chippendale’s early work, the Palladian country house near Cumnock remained untouched for 250 years before it was saved for the nation by HRH The Prince Charles, Duke of Rothesay in 2007.

It now operates as a tourist attraction and education hub, offering young people the opportunity to engage in learning experiences that promote confidence, personal development and training in real life skills.

The Walled Garden at Dumfries House (Photo: Iain Brown)

The estate welcomes more than 140,000 visitors every year, many of whom spend time exploring The Queen Elizabeth Walled Gardens, The Rothesay Garden, The Woodland Garden, The Education Gardens and the Front Garden which sits directly in front of the main house.

Brian continued: ‘I was very impressed with the amount of work and dedication our staff put into preparing for the Ayr and District Flower Show. Planning took several months as we had to design the garden and ensure all the plants and materials we needed were available.

‘The feedback we received on the day was very positive and we were all delighted to take part in such a great event for the second year running.’

The Prince’s Foundation, formed in April as a result of consolidation of Dumfries House Trust and other charities, is headquartered at Dumfries House.

The Prince’s Foundation is now the second-largest employer in East Ayrshire with more than 200 full-time and part-time staff across the house, estate and education and training programmes.

General admission to the estate is free while guided house and garden tours can be booked in advance by calling 01290 425 959.