Achamore Gardens

                        SPRING BANK

(The Zig-Zag Path, The View Point, George Taylor Garden)

Behind the walled gardens on the west is a natural ridge that runs between the farms of Ardlamy Farm and Achamore Farm. This ridge alone would provide enough shelter from the westerly and south-westerly winds.The east facing side is where the ridge slopes down to the walled gardens and is fully protected from the prevailing winds.

Col. Horlick took full advantage of this easterly slope and used it to an advantage. He planted it with some of the more tender rhododendrons and some of the more unusual trees and shrubs. Unfortunately over the years, woodland conifers have been over-planted and existing broadleaved trees have been allowed to mature without any thinning, and a wanton planting of Griselinia littoralis hedging has resulted in an overgrown shady site which has reduced the quality of any of existing specimen plantings.

Strong Winter gales over the years has felled any tree that tries to fight for sunlight. One notable specimen was a potential "Champion" Nothofagus dombeyi. (The base of the trunk and rootplate are still quite visible along the path.

After a gale on the Saturday 17th January 2009, a lovely mature Acacia longifolia was wind felled pulling up the steps and knocking over a few other trees. This was our catalyst to start a restoration along the Spring Bank. We opened up the zig-zag path by cutting and clearing and eventually we could monitor other plants on this site and removed what was necessary. This allowed us to replant with mainly re-introductions to Achamore.

The View Point at the top allows views out to Islay and Jura. We cut many of the plantaion conifers back dring January 2010, to open up the view again.

Much of the plantings of Malcolm McNeill still exist and are thriving well, so with some serious thinning out of unwanted trees and shrubs and hedging, the remaining plants have a chance. Before we went in to start the restoration we knew ther was an Auraucaria auraucana that had been previously been planted and I rather had hoped it had been planted on the vista line with the bank and the path known as Hugh / Islay's Border, but it was someway off. So on the bank at the head of the vista is now planted a Wollemia nobilis.

Many of the Horlick rhododendrons that Malcolm McNeill had layered and rooted have been planted high on the banks underneath the remaining Nothofagus dombeyi.

The list of species rhododendron that adorn Spring Bank is extensive, but the Spring colours and leaf textures are outstanding.

Other specimen plantings include; Lomatia ferruguinea, L. longifolia, Photinea davidiana, Fothergilla major, Mitraria coccinea, Blechnum tabulare, Drimys winteri var. andina, Buddleja colvillia, Euonymus hamiltonianus, Eucryphia moorie, Fascicularia bicolor and Clethra arborea.

Most of January, February and March 2010, has seen the removal of the last of the leyland trees that cut out any light. There were a few strategically removed larch and sadly the last of the potential Nothofagus dombeyi champion was felled by strong winds in January. "Out like a lion" has resulted in very srong winds on the 30th March 2010 felling a large mature elm and the last Acacia longifolia. We finally cut down and chipped the griselinia that flanked the lower walk.

(Updated by Micky Little May 2011)