Beechgrove Garden, Easthaven

Commissioned by BBC Scotland’s  Beechgrove Garden I was given the opportunity of working with the community of East Haven in Angus to design a community garden at the heart of the village. The garden’s purpose being to link the village, which is divided by the main East coast railway line.

Easthaven residents resolved to reinvigorate one of Scotland’s earliest recorded fishing communities in time for the villages octocentenary in 2014.

Drawing on the ideas and aspirations of the residents the design aesthetic is that of waves splashing through the railway bridge from the beach to the other side of the village. The design used a series of wave beds and drystone walls and a restored fishing boat as a central feature bringing the ancient fishing heritage into the heart of the village. Coastal plants and grasses provide a sustainable garden with year round colour.

Building the garden and caring for it became the beating heart of this now thriving village which has gone on to become an incredibly proactive learning and environmentally responsible community.

The garden has won several awards, including:

  • Gold Award from Beautiful Scotland in 2015
  • The Jim Murdie Sustainability Award Gold in 2016
  • The Garden for Life Biodiversity Award in 2016.

The Master Plan

Karen was commissioned by BBC Scotland’s Beechgrove Garden to design this garden to be one of their featured community garden programs.

Images of the site before we started work.