Nominee Summary
Philiphaugh Garden & Events has transformed a once-hidden victorian walled garden into a thriving rural business that celebrates heritage, horticulture and community. Through the restoration of the historic garden and Kirk, we have created a year-round destination that combines a productive nursery, workshops, weddings, education and free public access. We employ local people, inspire future generations through school partnerships, support charities and care homes, and manage the garden using sustainable growing practices that enhance biodiversity. By preserving our heritage while creating opportunities for people, nature and the local economy to flourish, we are helping secure a vibrant future.
What makes your nominee stand out?
It demonstrates how a historic estate asset can be transformed into a thriving rural business that benefits people, place and nature. Rather than restoring the Victorian walled garden as a private space, we chose to open it to everyone, creating a destination the celebrates horticulture, heritage and community while ensuring its long-term future. Once the estate's productive kitchen garden, the site has been carefully restored and reimagined. Historic features, including the 100-metre Monka greenhouse and adjoining Kirk, have been brought back into meaningful use, while new planting has created an inspiring landscape that changes with the seasons. From the avenue of 360 white Annabelle hydrangeas to over ten cut flower beds where couples can pick flowers for their own wedding bouquets and table displays, every area has been designed to immerse visitors in the beauty of the garden. Alongside the nursery, which supplies high-quality seasonal bedding plants and hanging baskets to local towns and communities, the orchard continues its productive heritage by producing 100% natural apple juice. Weddings, workshops and seasonal events provide additional opportunities for people to experience the garden in unique and memorable ways. what truly sets Philiphaugh apart is our vision. We believed such a beautiful place should not remain a hidden secret. By restoring, protecting and sharing it, we have created a sustainable rural business that preserves an important part of Scotland's heritage, supports local economy, welcomes visitors free of charge throughout the year and inspires future generations to value horticulture, nature and the countryside.
Supporting the local community
Community sits at the heart of everything we do. From the outset, our ambition was not simply to restore a historic garden, but to create a place that local people could enjoy, learn from and feel part of. We are open free of charge throughout the year, welcoming visitors of all ages to enjoy the peaceful surroundings, seasonal displays and changing landscape. We are proud to employ local people and provide opportunities for training and skills development in horticulture and nursery production. Through partnerships like Selkirk High School, students undertake six-month horticultural placements, gaining valuable practical experience and confidence, and we hope to extend this programme to other schools. We welcome volunteers and are exploring opportunities to work alongside healthcare professionals to demonstrate the positive benefits that gardening and nature can have on physical and mental wellbeing. Throughout the year we donate plants to local schools, charities and care homes, helping brighten shared spaces and encouraging more people to enjoy gardening and supporting the community. Seasonal workshops, including wreath making and floral design, bring people together while sharing traditional skills and celebrating the changing seasons. The restoration of the adjoining kirk and the development of the walled garden as a venue for around 12–15 weddings and events each year also brings visitors into the area, supporting the wider rural economy and neighbouring businesses. For us, success is measured not only by the business we have created, but by the opportunities, enjoyment and sense of community that have grown alongside it.
Maintaining high ethical/environmental standards
Respecting and working with nature underpins every decision we make. Our aim has always been to restore the garden in a way that enhances biodiversity, reduces waste and protects this special place for future generations. We have created wildflower areas and pollinator-friendly planting and introduced bee hives to encourage biodiversity and support healthy ecosystems. The extensive cut flower beds, orchard and seasonal planting provide food and habitat for pollinating insects. Our growing practices focus on improving soil health through peat-free compost, organic mulches and composting green waste generated on site. We also reuse locally sourced woodchip to protect planting over winter, improve soil structure and naturally return nutrients to the ground. Water is carefully managed through irrigation systems supplied, where possible, by rainwater harvesting and water drawn from the estate pond. Greenhouses are insulated to reduce energy consumption, and we continually look for practical ways to improve efficiency without compromising quality. The restoration itself has embraced the principles of reuse. Materials found around the estate, including bricks, timber and other reclaimed resources, have been incorporated into the garden’s redevelopment, including the pergola walkway built using estate timber. Plastic pots are cleaned and reused wherever possible, helping reduce waste and encourage a more circular approach to nursery production. We believe that caring for our environment is inseparable from caring for our heritage. By restoring this historic garden with sustainability at its heart, we are ensuring it continues to flourish as a place for wildlife, visitors and future generations alike.
