Coach in the Garden

In 1988 Robin and I bought Eskhill House. With it we acquired nearly two acres of garden – largely formal – its layout dating back to the nineteenth century. We also inherited a tradition of opening our garden to the public every two years as part of the Garden Scheme in Scotland. Our gardening experience up until then was only the redesign of a small Edinburgh town garden, and the planting of some 1500 saplings to create a wood at Rymore, our house in Tulloch, Inverness-shire.

The task ahead was daunting. My approach included the purchase of what seemed like every gardening book published in English, subscriptions to numerous magazines, and blind panic as the wonder of nature overwhelmed my amateurism. As the years have gone by, experience has taught me a lot, and I now enjoy the garden and the various projects that we hope have enhanced it. In 2005, after a year’s study at the Royal Botanical Gardens in Edinburgh, I achieved the General Certificate in Horticulture.

Through Coach in the Garden I aim to combine enthusiasm for and knowledge of gardening with my coaching experience. Looking back to those early days at Eskhill, I would have found it immensely helpful to have had a gardening coach: someone who would have followed my interests, asked good questions, and helped me to develop my skills and improve my performance. This individual would have encouraged me to look to the future, to explore options, and may even have helped me to manage the inevitable conflicts that arise when more than one person has ideas about the garden! This is what Coach in the Garden is all about.

The approach is the antithesis of the “garden makeover”. You are in control – with the support of coaching and horticultural skills.

Lindsay Burley