Merchiston Garden
2016 BALI Principal Award Winner
This Merchiston garden in Edinburgh is one of two 2016 BALI award-winning gardens for Edinburgh landscaper, Water Gems. It was built as part of the complete refurbishment of this Georgian property and the result is something we and the client think is rather special. Designed by Carolyn Grohmann of Secret Gardens, the garden includes a sunken garden across which a scorched oak boardwalk supplied by Michaela Huber creates a bridge leading to a stone and slate garden building. A circular rill runs through the sunken garden which is planted with clipped box balls and mass plantings of tulips. Pleached Photinias and Parrotias provide structure and privacy along with mature beech hedging.
Garden Features and Focal Points
The garden is punctuated with features and points of interest including a magnificent mosaic at the front door, a copper tub water feature with water lilies and curving railings and impressive gates by Ratho Byres Forge, a cedar greenhouse by Gabriel Ash and a robust but attractive log store, while the black basalt paving supplied by London Stone is defined by a clashach sandstone inlay. Extensive herbaceous planting, supplied by Binny Plants, makes this garden a visual feast over a very long season which is much appreciated by the clients as well as passers-by. It is beautifully maintained by Janet Thomas and her team as well as David Scott and the Green Garden Company.
Judge’s Praise for Edinburgh Landscaper’s Merchiston Garden
The BALI judge visited the garden in July 2016. He commented, ‘The quality of the hard landscaping around this period Edinburgh house, including difficult radial cuts and detailed motifs, is superb. The planting in the front garden is exquisite and the colour palette spot on. To the rear the large lawn area contains a beautiful sunken garden with a rill. Overall, the scheme is totally in keeping with the period of the house and is faultless as a piece of landscape construction.’
Nick Benge, Water Gems’ founding director said, ‘We couldn’t believe our luck when our category was announced and we saw the incredibly high standard of the other seven entries. Hats off to Struan Reid and Robin Torrie for running this project so professionally and pretty much everyone else at Water Gems whose workmanship contributed to this award. The team effort included wonderful contributions from so many of our suppliers and co-contractors. Thank you to everyone involved!’