How The Farm & Garden Shop Came About

by Panny Laing for Storytelling Week 2020

By Panny from Logie Farm & Garden Shop 

The Farm & Garden Shop is one of Panny's many Logie hats.

Today's story is Panny's history of how she came to sell plants and start the Farm & Garden Shop, and how it evolved into what it is today. Read on to find out more...

 

How the Farm & Garden Shop Came About

Moving to Logie & Starting With the Garden

Alasdair and I, and Emma, Alec and Freddie moved to Logie in 1991, swopping houses with Alasdair’s mother. Not only did we move into the large house we also took on the large garden with the help of Joe Allardes whose son Graham is now the Estate Forester.  At the time the garden was very traditional: a formal area planted every year with red begonias and yellow antirrhinums, a lot of veg, a productive polytunnel in the middle, a cutting garden, soft fruit and a herbaceous border.  It was full of colour for 2-3 months but not really my sort of garden – no shrubs and all quite ‘managed’.  Being faced with a lot of fallow ground was a daunting project! Thankfully we had a great friend, Gavin Dallmeyer, who was a very good plantsman and garden designer and he came to help.  We moved the poly tunnel and planted the shrub borders with the grass path.  We planted roses and a mix of perennials and shrubs in the formal area.  We added year round interest with some shrubs in the herbaceous border; we reduced the veg garden by 2/3rds and planted an orchard.  We opened up a short length of the burn – which had been piped under the garden for many years – and planted some damp-loving plants alongside.  The cutting garden was replaced with trees and shrubs. 

Starting to Share the Garden's Plants with Others

With Gavin’s guidance I was introduced to many unusual but garden-worthy shrubs, trees and perennials and began to think it would be fun to make these more available to other keen gardeners.  We had opened Logie Steading in 1992 and a unit became available in 1996 so we started Logie Steading Plants – in those days the café was in half of the Art Gallery, and the new business moved into the area that is the current café kitchen, and the disabled and ladies’ loos, with the plant area at the back in what is now the car park.  The shop was quite small but it dawned on us that it would be a good idea to also sell the wonderful beef from the Longhorn herd… so we changed the name to Logie Steading Farm and Garden Shop and expanded our range of products. 

cotinus in Logie House Garden for Storytelling Week
azalea, solomons seal in Logie House Garden for Storytelling Week

Onwards & Outwards - to the Big Garage

Many years later the café moved across the courtyard and the Shop moved into new premises in what was originally built as a ‘Carriage House’ – rather a grand name for a very large garage, with space for 8 Rolls Royces.  When it was built, in the 1930s the plan included a sizeable second floor, with accommodation for a chauffeur and a visiting chauffeur.  That part never happened as WWII intervened and by 1945 life had changed and the family didn’t have chauffeurs, nor the need to house 8 Rolls Royces.  We continue to try to find interesting garden-worthy plants that will do well in Scotland – and we have trialled many of them in the Logie House Garden which is now open every day.

Farm & Garden Shop in the former Carriage House for Storytelling Week
Logie House Garden for Storytelling Week
4 February 2020
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How The Farm & Garden Shop Came About

Terms & Conditions for fishing on Logie Estate

  1. Fishing on the river is restricted to 2 rods per beat and is to be by fly only. All fishing is from the right bank. By arrangement with the neighbouring estate there is no left bank fishing on the Relugas Middle and Top beats.
  2. The fishing is split into two 2 rod beats, Logie and Relugas, with Relugas sub divided into Middle and Top.  Beats can be taken together or separately. Logie is fished Monday to Saturday, Relugas Middle on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and Relugas Top on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Beats change at midnight.
  3. Fishermen must contact Logie Estate office on 01309 611300 a day or so before arrival to organise being shown onto the river. A map of pools, beats and access routes will be provided.
  4. Bio-security is important to the future of the river and anglers are asked to observe protection measures. The Findhorn District Fishery Board Conservation Code will be strictly observed. To summarise: All fish caught up to 14th May inclusive must be released. From 15th May, all salmon over 9 lbs / 4 kg / 28 inches / 72 cm are to be returned.  Below that measurement at least 70% of salmon and 50% of grilse caught should be released and a maximum of 1 salmon and / or 2 grilse per rod per week may be retained. In September all fish are to be returned. No gaffs or tailers are allowed.
  5. The Findhorn District Fishery Board Bio-security measures will be strictly observed and all fishermen in the party must sign the Bio-security Declaration. (Also available at http://www.fnlft.org.uk/downloads/)
  6. The Estate recommends that barbless hooks are used, fishermen are in possession of a disgorger and that knotless nets are used. All possible care should be taken when returning fish to the river, they should be handled as little, and gently, as possible and should not be removed from the water.
  7. The catch should be reported at the end of each day of fishing to Logie Estate Office on 01309 611300. If the office is closed, please leave a message on the answering machine with the date, weight and pool. Please also report a nil catch day.
  8. Dogs are allowed on the river but must be kept strictly under control at all times. The Estate reserves the right to ask tenants to remove dogs if they are considered to be out of control.
  9. Rod, line and fly size are dependent on prevailing weather and water conditions and personal choice. In general, maximum rod length needed is 13ft with a size 8 or 9 line, usually floating. Fly sizes range from 6 – 8 in the spring down to 12 or less in summer low water.
  10. Safety must be considered at all times. All beats have a variety of pools with some suitable for most heights of water. Little wading is necessary and river paths are good however the fishing is within the Findhorn gorge, access to some of the pools is quite steep and a degree of rock scrambling is often necessary when playing and landing fish. Please be aware that a reasonable level of fitness and mobility is required. A buoyancy aid for each rod is provided and should be collected from Logie Estate Office on arrival, and returned to the Estate Office (or to the outbuilding opposite if office is closed) on departure. Logie Estate strongly recommends that buoyancy aids are worn when fishing and not doing so is entirely at fishermen’s own risk. Please pay attention at all times, avoid slips and falls, wear appropriate footwear, look out for overhead electricity lines, watch the weather and pay attention to livestock. Take extra care if fishing alone.
  11. Anglers need to supply or hire their own equipment (except buoyancy aids, which are provided).
  12. Ghillieing/tuition is available by on a first come, first served basis. This must be booked in advance with the Estate Office and is subject to availability. A half day ghillieing/tuition is approx. 3 hours, full day approx. 6 hours. Please contact the estate office or check our website for current rates. Rates do not include discretionary tips.
  13. Rod, Reel & Line hire is available by on a first come, first served basis. This must be booked in advance with the Estate Office and is subject to availability. Please contact the estate office or check our website for current rates. A rod, reel and line set is for one person and is subject to a fully refundable damage deposit of £100.
  14. Aside from fishermen, others, including rafters and kayakers, enjoy this stretch of river and mutual respect and consideration is expected.
  15. Bookings are confirmed when initial payment is received. Subsequent changes in dates or number or rods are entirely subject to the Estate’s discretion and to availability. Change of dates, if accepted, incur an administration fee. In the event of a cancellation the tenant must advise Logie Estate immediately, whereupon Logie will endeavour to re-let. If a new tenant can be found the deposit will be returned less any expenses incurred for advertising, office costs, etc., and less any shortfalls in discounted list price. Until such time as a vacancy has been re-let the hirer is responsible for making any further payment by the due dates. Failure to do so may mean that the hirer forfeits any refund if the dates are re-let. If it is not possible to re-let, all payments are still payable by the due date(s). It is unlikely that a refund can be made for a late cancellation. Logie Estate recommends that fishermen take out relevant cancellation insurance.
  16. Subletting fishing is only allowed with Logie Estate’s permission.
  17. Logie Estate reserves the right to immediately withdraw fishing without compensation from anyone who breaks these or associated conditions, or flouts normal standards of behaviour or fishing etiquette.