25 September 2021
The walled gardens at Hospitalfield have been cultivated since the early medieval period, from providing herbs for the monks running the 13th century hospice through the Victorian passion for collecting ferns to 2021 when the gardens were comprehensively redeveloped to a design by celebrated designer Nigel Dunnett. Set against the red sandstone neo-Gothic architecture, the new gardens tell the 800-year horticultural story of this extraordinary site. Alongside this, the 150-year-old fernery has been restored and a new glass house café has been designed by Stirling Prize Winning Architects Caruso St John.
In the 19th century, the Allan-Fraser Family remodelled the site at Hospitalfield to create their home in the Arts and Crafts style. Since the early 20th century there has been an international cultural programme rooted in contemporary visual arts run by the charitable trust. An exceptional resource for contemporary artists and local and international audiences in Arbroath, Scotland, Hospitalfield is a place to work, study, learn, visit and enjoy.
Programme
Saturday 25th September
11.00 – 16.00 Garden Open Day
Plant sale
Children’s activity packs
Refreshments – the café is open from 10.00 with last orders at 16.00
11.00 Garden tour with Head Gardener, Kate Robinson
Explore the long history of the garden, the building of the 19th century fernery, and
the creation of the brand new garden by Nigel Dunnett
Book here
12.00 Terrill Dobson talks herbs and herbal remedies
Terrill will be taking a walk around the garden and will talk about the properties of
the various plants, their history and use in Scottish herbal medicine
Book here
14.00 Garden tour with Head Gardener, Kate Robinson
Explore the long history of the garden, the building of the 19th century fernery, and
the creation of the brand new garden by Nigel Dunnett
Book here
Scotland’s Gardens Scheme
Scotland’s Gardens Scheme supports over 250 different charities each year, with 60% of funds raised being donated to causes selected by individual garden openers, many in their local communities, with the remaining 40% going to SGS and their three core beneficiaries – Maggie’s Cancer Care Centres, the Queen’s Nursing Institute Scotland and Perennial, the charity for people in horticulture.