Visitors to this weekend’s 6th Friends of Duthie Park, which will be held on Sunday 21, will be able to see the impressive results of hours of hard work by volunteers over the past few months.
The 1920s Rockery in Duthie Park was formed in 1922, at the same time as the bowling green and tennis courts, after the gardens and house of Arhurseat were incorporated into the Park prior to the house being demolished in 1935.
The rockery had become overgrown and obscured to the public with shrubs and self seeded trees over the years and indeed many visitors to the park did not know that it had existed. As part of the Duthie Park Restoration project, which took place in 2012 and 2013, the vegetation was cleared to expose the rock layout and a previously hidden path. The rockery was also extended as part of the works to complement the adjacent new community garden area.
In November 2013, Aberdeen Rock Garden Club was approached with a view to be involved with the development of the rockery. Members of the club proposed as list of plants for the rockery and subsequent layout. The planting of the rockery was undertaken by both members of the Aberdeen Rock Garden Club and the Friends of Duthie Park over 6 sessions, a total of 82 volunteer hours were completed, from May 2014 to June 2016 when the planting was finished. Park Force, the regular gardening volunteer group in the park, also undertook 68 volunteer hours weeding and maintaining the rockery over the same period including the mulching of the area with pea gravel.”
A total of £4443.49 has been spent on plants for the project and the funding has been from the Keep Scotland Beautiful Community Grants Scheme for the sum of £250 and the balance of £4193.49 has been provided by the Friends of Duthie Park through sponsorship from the Craig Group, donations and fundraising.
Alan Amoore, chairman of the Friends of Duthie Park, commented. “It’s really great to see the rockery back in all its glory and a big thanks to Aberdeen Rock Garden Club, who were pivotal in ensuring everything was completed.
“In addition to the work on the rockery, the Friends have also recently assisted with planting and landscaping in the car park area of the Polmuir Road entrance.”
This Sunday’s Friends of Duthie Park Open Day will run from noon until 4pm.