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Gardens open to public for first time in decades

Duncan Mcmillan A gardener in green combat trousers and a blue T-shirt tends to a large display of colourful flowers in a glass houseDuncan Mcmillan
The gardens at the Hugo Burge Foundation last opened to the public in 1981

A historic walled garden and glasshouses in the Borders are to open to the public for the first time in more than 40 years.

The last public viewing at the site now run by The Hugo Burge Foundation (HBF) near Duns was in 1981.

The foundation is taking part in Scotland's Garden Scheme which encourages owners to open their gardens to raise money for charity.

As part of the initiative, the walled gardens and glasshouses will be open every Friday afternoon in July and August.

Andrea Jones A door in a walled garden surrounded by purple and white flowersAndrea Jones
The garden restoration was funded by the late Hugo Burge

The glasshouses were built in the early 20th Century by Mackenzie and Moncur, who counted Queen Victoria among their clients.

The estate owner at the time, Robert Finnie McEwan, commissioned the company to design and build them as part of a grand development plan for the house and garden.

They fell into disrepair before the late Hugo Burge financed their restoration and are now at the heart of the work of the foundation which carries his name.

Duncan Mcmillan A man with a moustache and cropped dark hair pushes a lawnmower through a gardenDuncan Mcmillan
The opening is part of Scotland's Garden Scheme

Head gardener Toby Loveday said: "The driving force behind opening the gardens is to allow people to appreciate our beautiful surroundings at the peak of summer.

"We're looking forward to seeing the reaction to our contemporary approach within such a historic horticultural space.

"As it develops, there will be opportunities for visitors to enjoy seeing the garden grow and change over all the seasons to come."

HBF chief executive Lucy Brown said they hoped the site would offer visitors a "sense of beauty, nurture and calm that is often missing in the anxious and ever-present online world".

Duncan Mcmillan A glasshouse with lemon trees in terracotta containers and purple flowers lining a pathway to a gardenDuncan Mcmillan
The garden near Duns will be open on Friday afternoons in July and August