The Ripple Effect of Scotland's Gardens Scheme
by Linda Lovatt, Garden Opener at South Dean Mill in the Scottish Borders
As it is too hot to even venture into the garden or my studio, I thought I would let you know what SGS has done for me - I thought you should know the ripple effect of opening with the SGS.
We really enjoyed our two openings in 2024, June and August. People had driven miles to see the garden which was very flattering. We thought we would have a year off after but then Ray Cox the photographer got in touch with me to ask if he could photograph the garden in the summer of 2025. He had been in touch with the SGS head office and my garden was one recommended for photographing. Ray had an article already lined up for the English Garden Magazine Spring Issue 2026, but the editor asked if the scaffolding would be down for the photos which was on the end of the house for chimney and barge board repairs.
I was excited about being featured in the magazine, so myself and Brian organised ourselves to finish the chimney pointing and painting of the barge boards. We do all our repairs etc ourselves so it was a bit of a challenge to get the scaffold down in time but we managed it, doing the final dismantling the morning of Ray’s arrival. But then disaster struck in the form of Storm Floris and all my beautiful hollyhocks were left at weird angles. So Brian cut me loads of steel rods which I hammered into the ground and tied them all up straight again, but some of the sunflowers were beyond repair. Anyway the shoot went well and Ray did an amazing job, and Susie White wrote such an amazing and thoughtful piece to go with it. She confessed she had husband envy with all the lovely steelwork Brian makes for me in the garden.
Then Scotland's Home of the Year researchers got in touch after looking on the SGS website for possible homes to visit, but alas we have still yet to finish the interior at the cost of doing the garden first! Shortly after that, our local news magazine “Jed Eye” got in touch and asked if I wanted to take over the monthly garden page, which I gratefully accepted and I illustrate it too, as I used to be an illustrator before I set up Beastie Assemblage, my business making and selling quirky creations made from copper and brass, inspired by the garden and surrounding countryside.
A couple of months before this year’s opening, Fiona Armstrong from ITV Borders got in touch to ask if they could come and film me at work in the garden and my studio. Again she found me from the SGS website. They arrived the Friday before the SGS weekend opening and were here for nearly five hours for a 9 minute feature going out on Borders Life, ITV in August. So what with that and our weekend of lovely visitors myself and Brian were happily shattered.
We love opening our garden with committee members of our local village hall doing the teas. As well as visitors coming such distances it is also a big village affair, with friends and neighbours chatting in the garden. We had several emails afterwards from visitors telling us how much they enjoyed their visit which was so lovely.
So there you go, working with yourselves at SGS has been a real adventure for us.
