Ferns, TV and sunshine

Well today was rather different from yesterday. My friend and I left home at 8.15am for the 2 hour plus drive to The Linn, a garden on the Clyde at Cove, on the Kilcreggan peninsula. It was windy and wet when we left, but gradually improved and by the time we arrived the sun was out.

The visit was to join in a meeting of the BPS, the British Pteridological society, aka the Fern Club. We had been invited to meet the new owners of the garden, which was in a very rundown state after the death of the previous owner, my friend Jim Taggart. Matthew, the new owner, was very keen to try to get the garden back into shape to reopen to the public and had even enrolled on a horticultural course to learn more about it!

We had a great day, walking and talking and trying to help identify some of the ferns. I did manage to identify a couple of non-ferns, so I hope I was of some use!

There was a team from Gardener's World filming during the day and chatting to some of the folk about plants. It was sad to see so many overgrown shrubs and trees, but I think Matthew will make a good job of the restoration. While mooching about I found an old sign in the back of a plastic tunnel which I propped up and used as my extra today!

I think a good day was had by all! We set off for home before 4pm and as we approached Oban the heavens opened - just the opposite of yesterday!