Image courtesy of Lizzie Schofield
Lizzie Schofield, aka @cuthbertsbrae_garden, lives with her family in the north-east of Scotland and is a proud ambassador for Scotland’s Garden Scheme. She’s also a television presenter on BBC Two’s Beechgrove Garden. Find out how Lizzie turned a wild wasteland into something rather special…
What was the plan for your current garden?
Lizzie’s garden was an incredibly steep blank canvas
Images courtesy of Lizzie Schofield
Having a large garden was something that my husband and I had never even dreamed about. Our little fisherman’s cottage, perched on a steep slope close to the sea, only had a few square metres of land surrounding it – just enough for a washing line.
However, what it did have was 900 square metres of bramble-covered wasteland that no one wanted. The council, every so often, would come and strim the brambles back from the steps and public footpath which is called Cuthberts’s Brae, but it really was an eyesore! Little did we know that this would one day be our beautiful garden filled with colourful perennials, quirky steps and twisting pathways.
What inspires you in the garden?
Terracing the slope allowed for lots of clever planting
Images courtesy of Lizzie Schofield
After having our two children we decided to buy the land that surrounded the house and create something special for our family to enjoy. This included the bramble wasteland! My husband and I really had no experience of gardening and were a little naive as to the huge task we were about to take on. We spent weekends and holidays cementing in fence posts, creating terraces and building retaining walls – as well as watching every gardening program on TV for inspiration about what we could grow so close to the sea. After four years of hard work, and lots of failed attempts, we eventually ended up with something to be proud of.
What’s your favourite garden style?
Lizzie favours colour and a naturalistic planting style
Images courtesy of Lizzie Schofield
We’ve learnt so much in the past 10 years of gardening and our garden is still changing and evolving as we try new things. I love lots of colour and a naturalistic style of planting. Over the years I’ve tried lots of different planting combinations and now know what works well with our climate and sandy soil. I love planting for wildlife too, so I include plenty of pollinator-friendly plants. My favourites are echinops, hylotelephium, verbena and cardoons.
What are you most proud of?
Lizzie’s garden is testament to her creativity
Images courtesy of Lizzie Schofield
I’m very proud of the fact that my husband and I had the imagination and the resilience to turn something that no one would ever imagine as a garden into something wonderful. I’m constantly surprising myself, too, at all the amazing vegetables and cut flowers I can grow. With very little flat ground, the only way to do this was by creating a series of terraced beds and we now grow a range of things. Pumpkins, artichokes, garlic and dahlias are just a few.
Top gardening tip for beginners
Lizzie’s transformed seating area and pergola
Images courtesy of Lizzie Schofield
My top gardening tip for beginners would be to never give up, learn from your mistakes and always try again. We definitely wouldn’t have the garden we do today if we’d stopped and given up on our first attempt. Imagine all the beautiful spaces you could create if you kept on growing.
Grow like Lizzie
Some of Lizzie’s favourite plants and flowers
Images courtesy of Lizzie Schofield
If you want to buy some of the plants Lizzie showcases on her Instagram page, here’s a quick shopping list:
We hope you’ve enjoyed learning more about Lizzie Schofield from @cuthbertsbrae_garden. If you want to read about other inspirational growers, check out our series of #tmfeaturedgardens over on Instagram.
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