March Update

Simon Jones from National Trust Scotland (NTS) gave us an excellent talk on the NTS properties he is responsible for looking after. He took us on a journey from Arduaine in the north to Crarae, Hill House, the Charles Rennie Mackintosh building in Helensburgh, to Geilston Garden the Weavers Cottage in Kilbarchan, Greenbank in Glasgow, where he is based, Holmwood House, the magnificent Culzean Castle, Alloway House of Burns in Ayrshire, where Robert Burns hailed from, Brodick Castle on the Isle of Arran, Threave, which has a fantastic daffodil collection and Broughton House in Kirkcudbright. Other, smaller properties not visited were Tighnabruaich, the Tenement House in Glasgow and the Cameronian Regiment Wars Memorial.

Many of these estates and gardens are heavily wooded and with trees comes the problem with disease and the eradication of disease. The solution to the dutch elm disease was to cut all the elm trees down. This was a knee jerk reaction, and many could have been saved rather than destroyed. At Arduaine there was a problem with disease Japanese poplar trees. Most had to come down and the way it was dealt with was very involved and took a great deal of thought. The poplar trees grew in amongst all the other trees and great care as taken not to damage the other trees. Of course. When the trees were sown, the skyline changed dramatically, and the shelter given by the trees was diminished giving more problems to contend with. Simon loves his job and says “my job is my hobby”. A great position to be in.

The April meeting is about Kirklands Garden in Saline with Peter and Gil Hart. Kirklands is a lovely garden. This is on 4th April 2025 at Dalgety Bay Community Centre. Doors open at 7:00pm for a 7:30pm start.

As I mentioned earlier, this is the DBHS 50th Anniversary. DBHS Growing for 50 years. For this momentous occasion we have designed a First Day Cover (FDC) with a special post mark. When the post office issues a new stamp, they issue it on a specially designed FDC, and the new stamps are cancelled with a specially designed post mark. DBHS has designed its own a special FDC and special post mark. These have been considered suitable for circulation, and these will be issued on 22nd May 2025. Those of you with a keen eye will notice that this date is special in that it will appear on the post mark as 22-05-2025. 22-05 is an anagram, if you like, of 2025. I like numbers.

If you would like a DBHS 50th Anniversary FDC, contact Michael Gourlay on email address [email protected] and he will tell you how to receive one.

Dalgety Bay Horticultural Society (DBHS) holds meetings on the first Friday of each month at 7:30pm in Dalgety Bay Community Centre. You are welcome to come along to our meetings and, who knows, you may be convinced to join us. Alternatively go to our website at www.dbhs.org, click on downloads, then membership form, fill it in then send it back. Membership is good value at £5.

If you think you may be interested in joining, please phone, Michael Gourlay on 07949 505456.