The garden consists of two large areas of lawn which were originally tennis courts. The east lawn includes the children’s Play Area. Around the perimeter there is a mixed planting of yew, hollies and various native trees. There is also an attractive mix of specimen trees of varying ages planted in and on the outskirts of the lawn.

There is on-going work on thinning and pruning in all areas. At certain times trees have had to be felled either because they were diseased or for safety reasons. Such decisions are always discussed in detail at Committee Meetings before any action is taken. When trees are removed, suitable replacements are planted whenever possible.

The general consensus is that the perimeter planting should give a certain amount of privacy while not completely blocking views across the garden. This can be contrasted with the extremes in other city gardens where sometimes the whole garden is secluded and secret, and in others, with very open views. The hope is that in keeping the gardens fairly open, inappropriate behaviour and vandalism will be discouraged.

General History:

These private gardens in Edinburgh were included in the planning of the New Town in the 19th Century. Originally all of them were for the use of the residents only. This included two gardens now open to the public – the Princes Gardens and, until 2007, St. Andrew’s Square Gardens. The decision to open these last-mentioned gardens was taken as a result of the number of residential properties in the areas decreasing and being replaced by offices.

History of Eglinton and Glencairn Gardens

1877: Gardens opened

1972: Play Area opened

1974: Edinburgh Corporation provided, free of charge, a mini-plan and survey of the Gardens

1977: Association created; first version of Constitution created; Assessment introduced

1978/79: Assessment £10

1988: Second version of Constitution implemented

1993/94: Barbecue licence granted; Assessment £46

1999/00: Landscaping grant

2001/02: Third version of Constitution implemented; Yew tree lost in storm; Assessment £50

2005/06: Basic Botanics appointed; Perimeter railings painted

2009/10: Trees felled; Tree survey completed; Assessment £60

2010/11: Detailed Topographic Survey completed

2016: Tree survey completed by Donald Roger,  Arboricultural Consultant. Work completed on trees in line with recommendations, including removal of large Elm opposite 19 Glencairn Crescent

2017: Tree planting including Fastigiate Oak, Cherry, Turkish Hazel, Liquid Amber, Crab Apple. Outer ring path upgraded with whin dust to make it wheelchair and buggy friendly.

2018: Loss of further mature Elm opposite 16 Glencairn after roots began to lift during Storm Hector. Risk to life and property averted. Mulberry Tree planted. New planting in most beds in line with planting scheme commissioned from Nenya Milne of Perennis Permaculture and agreed, after amendment, by the committee. This was the most significant improvement work on the beds in over a decade.

Full ground survey undertaken to enable marquee erection uncovered an electric cable running beneath the gardens.

Maintenance:

The Garden is looked after and maintained by Perennis Permaculture who are contracted to the Association. The maintenance regime includes grass cutting (sub contracted to Greenscape), feeding, weeding, leaf collection and general tidying. It also includes seasonal pruning as required, management of compost heaps and preparation and planting of beds with perennials in line with the planting scheme agreed by the committee and other garden based work such as tree planting.

Children’s Play Area:

The Play area is intended for the use of Pre-school and Primary school children (under 12), accompanied by an adult. The facilities include a sand-pit, swings, a slide and a Wendy House. This is an ideal place for children and parents to enjoy some outdoor activities in a quiet protected area.

In 1972, a group of young mothers from the Crescents had the idea of setting aside a section of the garden as a Play Area for the children of the residents. The leading lights behind this initiative were Sheila O’Riordan and Jill Koszec.

Some children who played in that original Play Area are now mothers themselves and their children are now benefiting from that 1972 inspired idea.

Originally the area was separated off from the rest of the garden only by a netting fence. Now it is surrounded by a hedge which gives quite a bit of privacy to the parents and children. Right from the beginning the priority was to keep the area as clean as possible and to provide pre-school and primary school children a safe place to play. The equipment came originally from parent donations. They invested in a climbing frame, a slide, swings, huge pipes and a sand-pit.

All of the above equipment has been replaced and added to over the years. The swings were added in 2009. Now the equipment is paid for by the members through their annual Assessment. There are still individual investments by some parents.