Meet Knockinaam's New Gardener

The gardens at Knockinaam Lodge set the scene for the stunning outdoor tranquillity that guests enjoy while they stay at this luxury hotel in Dumfries & Galloway. Managing the 30 acres of flower beds, orchard, vegetable and fruit gardens, as well as the sweeping lawns that lead you to the beach and sea views beyond, is a full-time job and a new set of green fingers have taken on the job. Meet Diana White. With 16 years gardening experience, Diana is now absorbed in the stunning grounds that surround this historic hunting lodge. She explains more about what inspired her to come to Knockinaam:

I am delighted to have the job of gardener at Knockinaam Lodge. I first saw the garden when I came for my interview and was instantly smitten. The flower beds were full of colour, billowing with unusual varieties of aquilegia, iris, and geraniums with hints of many more stunning flowers to come – along with a fair few weeds – an exciting task lay ahead.

Dumfries & Galloway Hotel Garden with Sea View 

The private cove and sea make a stunning backdrop to the garden, on my first visit the sun was shining and both sea and sky were a vivid blue, the place just seemed so tranquil. Then Sian took me to the kitchen garden which is enclosed to offer some protection from wind, deer, and rabbits. I knew then that I had found my ideal job and the most beautiful of workplaces. I feel at home in the garden at Knockinaam Lodge, perhaps it’s the soundtrack of waves that make me feel that way. I am from the Isle of Arran originally and have always loved to be near the sea.

Produce from Kitchen Garden, served to your plate in the Award-Winning Restaurant 

I love productive gardening and grow a lot of fruit, vegetables, herbs, and flowers in my own potager style garden. I try to make my garden both beautiful and bountiful, however there are limits to how much fresh veg a family of three can get through and there is never enough space in my own garden for all the varieties of veg I would like to plant. With all the mouths to feed from a 10 bedroom hotel, I am in my element here at Knockinaam Lodge.

The large vegetable garden and needs of the chefs will give me the chance to try growing lots of different things. The difference in flavour between what you grow and what you buy in the shops is stark, so I hope to grow as much as I can for the chefs to use freshly grown produce straight from the Knockinaam kitchen garden. I have a real interest in food and look forward to seeing what the chefs create with the produce I grow for them.

Stunning Gardens – the best in Dumfries & Galloway and Scotland

Many guests to Knockinaam Lodge are keen gardeners and I look forward to many conversations about the gardens here and the beautiful gardens visitors can enjoy in Dumfries & Galloway. The Garden Special Breaks Knockinaam arrange for guests are popular and feature the best in Dumfries & Galloway and Scotland.

Since I began working at Knockinaam, everyone, staff and guests have made me feel very welcome. It has been a pleasure over the last few weeks watching the gardens unfold. It will take a full year before I know exactly what plants the garden contains; I watch with anticipation as each plant flowers trying to remember its location. I have begun to note down which plants are flowering where and when. Many of the plants are ripe for division though not until autumn or spring. Dividing congested plants will encourage an even better display of flowers for next year.

I will write again soon with tips for autumn/winter and spring/summer preparations to keep your own gardens looking wonderful as I work away at making the gardens at Knockinaam Lodge beautiful for guests to enjoy all year round.