Danevale Park is opening for snowdrops for the 50th year under Scotland’s Gardens Scheme this weekend.
The garden on the outskirts of Crossmichael is always popular and owner Janet Gillespie has been reminiscing about how it got involved in the programme.
She said: “When I inherited Danevale from my great aunts, the Miss Duncans, I had been told by them that each year they had opened Danevale to the public in order to view the snowdrops.
“In 1951 my husband Michael and I started clearing the policies which were very overgrown. To our astonishment under all this growth were thousands of snowdrops. That was the beginning of the wonderful display we have now.
“The snowdrops multiplied themselves over the years, I have never planted any. Not only did the snowdrops multiply but so did the number of people coming to visit the policies. The opening of the garden and seeing people coming back year after year has given me such enormous pleasure and I hope it will continue.”
There will be carpets of snowdrops, aconites and other early spring wild flowers and woodland walks on the banks of the Dee. There will again be old-fashioned teas in the house and snowdrops for sale.
Danevale Park, Crossmichael, DG7 2LP is just off the A713 Castle Douglas to Crossmichael road. It will be well signposted with yellow arrows and opening is from 1pm until 4pm on Sunday, February 23.
Admission is £3 for adults with children free.
Forty per cent of the proceeds will go to Poppyscotland with the rest to Scotland’s Gardens charities.
Snowdrops can also be enjoyed at Barholm Castle near Gatehouse, which is open by arrangement.
At the moment the ravine is a river of snowdrops and there is much more to explore in the garden surrounding the 16th-century tower. Visit www.scotlandsgardens.org for details.
