Friday Flowers Club #7-Finlaystone

Hello friends.

Last week I took advantage of the bank holiday and took my son, Finlay, back to Glasgow for a few days. For a dyed in the wool S11 boy he remains very much in touch with his Scottish heritage and loves to visit. His name, the Celtic spelling, means ‘Pale Warrior’.After Wednesday’s five hour stint at the science centre in the city, for Thursday we opted to get out into nature.

Close to the house I was raised in lies ‘Finlaystone’, a house and gardens between Erskine and Greenock. Finlay, naturally, was delighted to visit a place that shares his name and so we headed down for an adventure in the gardens, with his granny and uncle.The grounds were evocative of a childhood long passed, renewed through the eyes of my seven year old pale warrior. Careering through forests, finding new trails and surprises around every corner. Hours spent plotting routes through giant Rhododendron plantations, building dens, a child at play and lost in the scale of it all, his fortress of rich greens and deep pink blooms.And so for him, and for me, this week’s selection will be taking its cues from days playing in the Rhododendrons at Finlaystone (both last week and a few decades ago); deep earthy greens,  vibrant pinks and purples.As today officially marks the start of ‘British Flower Week” this week’s seasonal selection will be British grown peonies, mixed with some locally grown Eucalyptus (from my allotment).