Fab in Fall in Scotland

Scotland’s Branklyn Garden probably looks spectacular year round, but my wife and I  were there this past fall, and it was stunning.

Created in the early 1920s as a private two-acre hillside garden by John and Dorothy Renton, it’s now a small public destination garden that is part of the National Trust of Scotland. It’s located around an Arts & Crafts-style home near central Perth, Scotland.

It’s got a great collection of alpine flowers and blue Himalayan poppies in the spring, and summertime magnolias and impressive Japanese maples. It has a collection of plants from around the world, as the original gardeners were collectors.

There’s a small, quaint shop on the grounds with local gifts, seeds and plants for sale, as well as a tea room offering baked goods, shortbread, tea and coffee.

At nearly 100 years old, this charming garden is worth the hour or so it takes to do a leisurely walk through. If you’re a plant geek, it could take days to get through.