Birnam’s Beatrix Potter Garden
We have always enjoyed the Beatrix Potter Garden in Birnam, but hadn’t yet visited the newly reimagined version, opened earlier this year. But at the end ion September we fixed that, choosing a sunny afternoon for a wander around, enjoying the sculptures with new and old and savouring the early autumn colours.
Although this isn’t a big garden, it’s very charming, and there’s now more to look at than before. The space next to the corner entrance of the garden, by the exhibition building, is perhaps the most different, with a lovely new themed bench and Jemima Puddleduck sculpture. The vibrant planting here also made it a lovely spot.
Another big change is that the information boards telling the life story of Beatrix Potter and her connection to Perthshire are now dotted at intervals along the trail, instead of being grouped together under the pavilion. This makes for a much more immersive experience. We also really enjoyed all the new sculptures, although we were nevertheless delighted to see that our old favourites, in particular Jeremy Fisher and Mrs Tiggywinkle, were still present as well.
Mrs Tiggywinkle is especially relevant to the Perthshire garden, since it’s likely that was inspired by Dalguise washerwoman, Kitty Macdonald. A mini treasure hunt of sorts has been set up to find Mrs Tiggywinkle’s ‘lost laundry’; this and other puzzles are included in a new Children’s Activity Book, available from the gift shop for £3, or is included in the admission price to the exhibition.
Another fantastic innovation in the new garden is a planting area with raised a bed containing some herbs, salad leaves and more, appropriately named the Mr. McGregor Garden. Next to it is a learning and play area, including a mud kitchen with some ‘recipes’ pinned to it for children to follow if they wanted. The selfie board seemed very popular while we were there as well.
It was wonderful to see a fresh, immersive and well thought out trail that at the same time managed not to lose any of the charm of the original garden. Whether your visit includes seeing the exhibition or you choose to simply finish off with a coffee in the cafe, this is a great way to fill an hour or two on a sunny autumn day.
