Tobacco and slaves: These words might not immediately spring to mind when you think of a tranquil Scottish garden. Yet, they are inextricably linked to the story of Greenbank Garden.
Greenbank Garden is a beautiful place. It is a 2.5-acre walled garden in Clarkston. The National Trust for Scotland owns and operates it. It is open to the public.
Let’s step back to 1763. Robert Allason, a Glasgow merchant, built Greenbank House. Allason started as a baker. He and his brothers became traders in Port Glasgow. He traded with Britain’s American colonies and became a landholder in the Caribbean. Profits from tobacco and slaves allowed him to purchase Flenders Farm. His family had worked this land for centuries. He established Greenbank House.
However, Allason’s trading interests suffered during the American War of Independence. Over the next two centuries, several families owned the house. The Hamilton family owned it from 1796 to 1961.
In 1961, William P. Blyth bought Greenbank. He and his wife transformed the grounds. They changed it from fruit and vegetable growing to ornamental gardens. In 1976, the Blyths gifted the house. They also gifted the walled garden and the 16-acre estate to the National Trust for Scotland. In 1981, the Young family donated an additional 20 acres. They were descendants of the Hamiltons.
Today, the gardens are open all year round. The house is open from March until October. Greenbank Garden inspires and educates visitors. It showcases a wide range of unusual plants. Greenbank Garden’s distinctive feature is its hedging. Tall plants divide the gardens into characteristic areas. There are about twelve distinct areas. The gardens contain over 3,700 plants. This depends on the season.
You will find spring bulbs and apple and cherry blossom. You can see astilbe, aubretia, and deutzia. You will discover dicentra, saxifrages and hydrangeas. Primulas, dahlias and roses are abundant. Philadelphus, azalea, rhododendron and lythrum thrive here. Crocosmia, phlox, cosmos, echinops and sedum add to the colours. Lavatera, monarda, helenium and sweet william are also present.
The National Trust operates a tea-room next to the garden. There is a substantial encyclopaedia of plants there. This helps visitors identify specimens.
Beyond the walled garden, there are 16 acres of woodland. Rhododendrons mark it particularly. The woodland also contains a herd of Highland cattle.
The walled garden is protected by woodland. This offers a sheltered space. Spring bulbs and herbaceous flowers flourish here. The setting provides a tranquil spot. It is close to the city, a place to escape into nature. Greenbank Garden is a popular spot for locals and visitors. There is a café and a plant sales area.
Don’t miss the bronze statue called ‘Foam’. It stands in the centre of the pond. Charles d’Orville Pilkington Jackson created this statue. It was first exhibited at the Empire Exhibition in Bellahouston Park in 1938. Greenbank is also home to a National Collection of Bergenia. Many different varieties grow together. This allows visitors to compare them.
Tall hedges divide the walled garden. The area is split into 12 separate ‘rooms’. Each has its own individual character. There are herbaceous borders and lawns. Greenhouses and Alpine beds also feature.
Even before the walled garden opens in spring, the woodlands are filled with witch hazel and viburnum. Scented sarcococca fills the air. The ground is covered in woodland flowers and bulbs.
Greenbank Garden is more than just a garden. It is a place where beauty and history intertwine. It reminds us of the complex stories behind even the most serene places.