It’s that time of the year again and more artists’ studios are open to the public this year than in any previous year. Check them out! Brochures can be collected from the Birnam Institute.

Recently I made this movie at Luisa Ramazzotti’s Lethendy House studio, which is one of the many studios open to the public during the Perthshire Open Studios event (3rd–11th September).

Yesterday evening I attended the preview of this year’s Heartwood event and thoroughly enjoyed myself. Regular Heartwood artists and guests have surpassed themselves, and the selection of photographs below represents only a small fraction of what can be seen wandering through Monkquell woods (near Blairgowrie).

Open from 3rd–11th September, 10am–5pm. For more information see: www.heartwoodartists.com.

Hidden away in the grounds of Murray Royal Hospital is a walled garden. Admission is free and there’s a café where you can enjoy delicious soup made from home-grown vegetables and desserts made from home-grown fruits. You can also buy plants which have been propagated in the garden as well as fruit and veg, and spend a good hour or more admiring the garden itself, which has many secluded areas where you can sit and eat your lunch.

What makes this walled garden all the more interesting is that it is partly run by people with mental ill health – the residents themselves – and is one of the many therapeutic gardening projects in Scotland supported by Trellis. My partner Genie, who works for Trellis, was keen to show me this garden and the perfect opportunity arose last Saturday during the annual open day. The theme this year was, of course, Alice in Wonderland. There was a “find the rabbits” quest for the kids and a hat parade for all the folk that had gone to the trouble of making their own crazy hats, art projects, and much more. We also had great weather.

Visit the Walled Garden at Murray Royal Hospital between 10am and 4pm, Mondays to Fridays. For more information about the charity Trellis, please visit their website, and/or check out the video below.

Photography: Genie Dee

Here’s another of my videos. This is one of the six One-Minute Wonders on exhibition until 14 October at Threshold Artspace, Perth Theatre. Please pop along!