March in the Garden 2026

Resilience is a term being used more and more in horticultural circles, and every gardener is aware of the changes in climate that are affecting what we grow and the challenges this brings. We have certainly noticed these changes here at Floors, with wetter Winters and hotter Summers, and we need to ensure that our garden can adapt, thrive and recover from extreme weather.

We have been finishing the pruning tasks; roses, fruit trees and shrubs and are now mulching the borders and beds preparing for Spring, which will soon be here! The roses, delphiniums and peonies have all had an annual feed of bonemeal.

We want visitors to be able to see what resilience really means in an everyday garden setting, so we are excited to be putting in place a new design that shows how our borders can be adapted. The aim is to encourage wildlife, respond to the conditions we face here in the Scottish Borders, and create a longer season of interest and planting, while still looking beautiful.

The rainy days have given us a chance to do some much needed tidying up, our Tool Shed, Bothy and Potting Shed have all had a good clean up ready for the year ahead!

The new border has been designed by Head Gardener Simon McManus and the Gardens Team. It highlights simple ideas that can easily be adapted at home. The first step has been to focus on healthy soil. We have added a layer of mulch to improve soil structure and lock in moisture and nutrients, and we are continuing to improve soil health across the garden by spreading compost, organic matter and mulches from Caledonian Horticulture.

We are also embracing a more sustainable approach, with water conservation, composting, recycling and repurposing materials as priorities. Plant selection has been carefully considered. We have included trees to absorb carbon and provide habitats for insects and birds, grasses and a wider range of plants that require less water, along with plenty of pollen and nectar rich flowers for pollinators.

To make space for the new bed, we have removed plants from the Central Border and now have a limited number of perennial bare root plants available for sale. Please keep an eye on our social media or get in touch at [email protected] if you are interested. They are all strong, well established clumps that will make an immediate impact this year.

We still very much value our traditional herbaceous borders with their full, generous displays. The Spring, Summer, Hot and Blue and Silver borders will continue to be nurtured and enhanced to provide colour right through the Summer months. They are not changing, aside from small adjustments to help them cope with the conditions.

Spring is now on its way. The snowdrops are beginning to fade as Spring bulbs push up through the soil. Crocus, narcissi, iris and tulips are appearing quickly, and the garden is changing before our eyes each day. One of the loveliest sights in March is the peach blossom in the glasshouse. It seems to appear almost overnight, and the scent of peaches greets you as you step inside. The careful task of hand pollination begins now.

As always, we look forward to welcoming you to the gardens and answering any questions about what we are working on.

Finally, we would like to say a heartfelt thank you and a fond farewell to Moira Penman, our WRAGS trainee for 2025 to 2026. She has made a tremendous contribution to the garden and is affectionately known here as the Rose Whisperer for her expertise. We will miss her and wish her every success in the next stage of her horticultural journey.