S
ituatedjusta stone’sthrowfrom
theprettyfishingvillageofCrail,
onthewindsweptfarmlandofFife
insoutheastScotland,standsa small
fairy-talecastlewhoseroughwallsglowlikehoneyed
apricotsinthesettingsun.Wormistounedates
backto 1328 whenRoberttheBrucewasking,
hasa 17th-centuryfortifiedtoweratitsheartand,
nowadays,is encircledbyan11-acreestatethat
includesflowermeadows,woodlandanda small
loch.Overthepast 26 yearsJamesandGemma
McCallumhaverestoredthisplacewitha charmingly
theatricalspiritexemplifiedbythewildboar that
pipesa tunefromtheroofofthehouse.
HeadgardenerKatherineTaylorhasworkedwith
thecouplesince 2012 torejuvenateexistingplanting
anddevelopnewareas,includinga Sissinghurst-
inspirednuttery.‘Windis probablythebiggest
challengehere.Welostdozensofelmssomeyears
ago,whichlefta veryopencanopyofself-seeded
sycamore,sowe’rebusyplantingnewtreestoshelter
thegardenandincreasespeciesdiversity,’shesays.
Thetowerhouseis partneredbya walledgarden
dividedintoa sequenceofdistinctgarden‘rooms’
witha rangeofmoods:froma starklyformalbox
parterreintheshapeoftwothistlestotheexuberant
naturalismofa smallorchard,nicknamedtheFairy
Garden,awashwithwildflowersandgrasses– in
springit hostsa magnificentdisplayofFritillaria
meleagris, thesnake’sheadfritillary.
EventhelightseemstingedgreenintheGriselinia
Garden,a shadyplacewherefourGriselinialittoralis- a hedgingplantwithleathery,reflectiveleaves
oftenfoundincoastalgardens– havegrownto
enormousproportions.Lookingonfromtheadjacent
wallis a GreenManentwinedwitha serpent,a nod
tothelocallegendthatWormistounewasoncehome
to a serpent-like worm. The fantasy continues with
theslatewhiplashofa tailthatflicksontothelawn
inBella’sGardenfromtheadjoiningpath.‘This
“room”is fullofromanticplanting,includinga mass
ofscentedpinkroses,peoniesandsalvias,framedon
onesidebya voluptuousyewhedge,itstop shaped
intoundulatingwaves,’saysGemma.
A pairofherbaceousbordersarehighlightsinJune
andJuly,fizzingwithcolourina zingymixoflime
green,pink,blueandyellow.Edgingthetextured
pathis frothy,low-growingAlchemillamollisand
Nepeta‘SixHillsGiant’,whilebehindtherearemixed
blocksofmagenta-floweredGeraniumpsilostemon,
boldyellowLysimachiapunctata, ramrod-straight
delphiniums,wine-darkastrantiasandpale-pink
mallow-likesidalceas.Nettingsuspendedacrossthe
bedsdisappearsbeneathfoliageinspringasthese
exuberantherbaceousperennialsgrow.Backedby
denseyewhedgesandpunctuatedbythearching
formofanoldappletree,thesebordersleadtowards
themoongateframingtheviewacrossbuff-coloured
fieldstothebluestripeoftheFirthofForth.
Atthewesternendofthegardena pairofponds
fedbya slimrillconnecttwinpavilions.These
buildingswiththeirogeeroofsrepresentAdamand
EveintheGardenofEden:the‘male’pavilionis
toppedbya cockerel,the‘female’bya henoneggs;
atgroundlevel,patternsinthepavingrepresentthe
sunononesideandthecrescentmoonontheother.
Katherinehasintroducedcreepingthymesthat
spreadpoolsofcolourinthepaving,andbroughtlife
intotheponds,nowlushwithpygmywaterlilies,
irises,frogs,damselfliesandwatersnails.
Thisis a beautifullydetailedgardenthatis suffused
withanintensesenseofplaceandevena touch of
humour: the result is an absolute delight.&■WormistouneHouse,Crail,FifeKY103XH,is open
by arrangement for groups (scotlandsgardens.org).inspiRation