In conversation with Kirsty Wilson, Head of Gardens at Balmoral

Image credit: HRH Balmoral Castle website (balmoralcastle.com/gardens). 

Last month, we were fortunate enough to spend a balmy afternoon on the Balmoral Estate, where they are currently using our cloches to help manage their beautiful kitchen garden, which was blooming with seasonal edibles such as parsley, chard and spinach during our visit. The formal gardens cover some three acres and also contain a range of Victorian glasshouses and the conservatory, which displays flowering pot plants throughout the year.  

During our visit, we met with their talented Head of Gardens, Kirsty Wilson. We couldn’t resist picking her brains to learn more about where she gets her inspiration, her approach to gardening and - of course - whether His Majesty the King has any exciting new plans for the gardens. Find out what she told us below.

Tell us a bit about yourself, and how you got into gardening? 

I’ve always been an outdoor girl and have a degree in Horticulture and a Diploma in garden design. Through my work and also social media, I try to inspire people about plants and connect them with nature, so that ultimately we can have a positive impact on the world. I’m now Head of Gardens at Balmoral & Birkhall, and also a presenter on BBC Beechgrove Garden and BBC Gardeners’ Question Time. I have also worked at Highgrove Gardens for HRH the Prince of Wales, Longwood Gardens in the USA; and managed glasshouses at St Andrews Botanic Garden. As the Herbaceous Supervisor at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh I managed horticulturalists, students and volunteers, led tours, wrote articles, gave talks and went on plant hunting expeditions to China and Japan.  

What is your approach to creating something new in the garden, and where do you start?

I love design and the key is to assess the site, soil, climate, and location in the UK. I always like to create a mood board of plants for year round interest depending on the wishes of the client. 

Where do you look for gardening inspiration? Are there any particular gardens that really inspire you?

I love visiting all types of gardens and finding rare and unusual plants.  I am botanically trained but have also worked in large public gardens.  Piet Oudolf’s naturalistic designs really inspire me. 

For someone who has never visited Balmoral Castle, can you tell us about it, and any of His Majesty’s exciting plans?

There has been an established royal garden here since Prince Albert purchased the castle for Queen Victoria in 1852 and planted many trees. During the Queen’s long reign, it looked its best for her summer residence. In 2023, King Charles had a large deer fence built around the garden and started planting trees and herbaceous shrubs, adding in new designs.

Besides the obvious, what makes the gardens at Balmoral unique? 

The location, the history, and the exciting new designs being implemented. 

Being located in the Scottish highlands, I imagine the environment can be harsh for many months of the year. You mention you get frosts quite late - can you give us a sense of the environment that you garden in, and how this differs from other gardens where you have previously worked, or other gardens elsewhere in the UK?  How do you factor this climate into your growing plans? 

It will be a challenge as it has the coldest climate for a garden in the UK, but with the stunning borrowed landscape of the Cairngorms National Park.  The summer season is short but the garden enjoys a very long day length.  Horticulturists sometimes have to deal with frost in early June and August though we have heated glasshouses, cold frames, and cloches which are essential for production. 

What have you been growing in the kitchen garden this year that you’ve found most exciting? Any special cultivars or varieties that caught your eye this season? 

Everything! Brassicas, Apricots, Plums, Lettuce, Peas, Tatties, Courgettes, Cucumbers, Tomatoes, Grapes, Runner Beans, Chard, Beetroot, Blackcurrants Gooseberries, Raspberries, Pears, Figs, Peaches, French Beans Spinach, Broad Beans, Fresh aromatic herbs, edible and ornamental flowers. You name it we grow it!

As the seasons change, how do you prepare for the arrival of Autumn and cooler temperatures?

We will be digging up Dahlias, gathering leaves to make leaf mould. We are planning to start planting bulbs, shrubs, new hedging, perennials and trees. Winters can be harsh here - our gardening team have to deal with heavy snow fall and frozen ground. Thankfully we have five glasshouses, cold frames and cloches that help us grow plants in the most challenging climate in the UK. 

Finally, what exciting plans are on the horizon, and what are you looking forward to at the moment? 

This autumn will see the completion of the Ball Room Lawn Celtic knot Design and the Thistle Maze. We now have exciting new designs for the Kitchen Garden and Tower Garden to implement this winter. Plus a new tree and shrub planting project new herbaceous borders to complete. I think we will be busy!