Malleny Garden

It was another gorgeously sunny but extremely cold day and we woke up to a frozen world. Not a day to waste and despite some very slippery conditions in the lane we managed to get out to the main road (winter tires are a great invention!). When I visited a small quilt show about a week ago in Balerno I had noticed signs for Malleny Garden so that is where we went today. Malleny gardens is in the hands of the National Trust for Scotland and charmingly has a honesty box for entrance donations. 

In the summer this garden is known for its gorgeous collection of Old Roses and I did manage to find one, but it was frozen solid. Still very beautiful though!

There were many old urns, looking wonderfully weathered

and some very old trees reaching up towards the blue sky!

Enormous hedges provided some lovely through views in the garden

and 4 old yews (they date back to the 17th Century and are known as the Four Apostles, originally there were 12 apparently!) guarded the centre of the garden. As you can see the sun was already very low despite the fact that it was only about 2.30 in the afternoon.

There was also a very interesting and I would guess Victorian fountain, which needless to say wasn't working

as the water was frozen solid! 

However the swans at the bottom of the fountain could still be admired!

And even the little lane where we parked our car (we were the only visitors!) provided lovely vistas!