Faldonside Eco: Regenerating Land and Growing the Future with Keder Greenhouse

Just outside the historic town of Melrose in the Scottish Borders, a remarkable transformation is underway. Since 2022, Faldonside Eco - a multigenerational, family-run estate - has been quietly but powerfully reshaping its land and legacy with the help of Keder Greenhouse.

Rooted in permaculture and sustainability, Faldonside Eco is on a mission to restore biodiversity, grow organic produce, and educate others about regenerative living. At the heart of this evolution lies a key structure: a 6m x 18m Keder Smallholder Greenhouse, installed in early 2025, designed to meet the challenges of Scotland’s unpredictable weather and support year-round cultivation.

A Vision for Sustainable Growing

Faldonside Eco’s journey began with a bold vision - to bring life back to their two-hundred-year-old walled garden and transform it into a productive, educational, and ecologically rich space. To make this vision a reality, they needed a robust growing solution that could:

• Extend the growing season

• Protect against frosts and temperature swings

• Support a wide variety of crops

• Double as a teaching and community space

After researching weather-resistant greenhouse systems, the team discovered Keder Greenhouse and reached out in late 2024. By March 2025, our team was on-site, laying foundations and assembling a custom greenhouse tailored to their needs.

The Keder Solution: Built to Withstand the Borders

Faldonside opted for a 6m x 18m Smallholder Greenhouse equipped with:

• Doors at both ends for easy access and efficient airflow

• Upper and lower staging to maximise workspace and propagation areas

• Manual side vents for temperature regulation

• Crop rails to support vertical growing systems like string-trained tomatoes

• Highly durable Keder cladding for insulation and protection against the harsh Scottish climate

This greenhouse offers exactly what Faldonside needed: durability, insulation, flexibility, and energy efficiency, all aligned with their permaculture ethos.

Faldonside Eco Keder Smallholder Greenhouse a few months on

Results: From Frost to Fruitfulness

In just a few months, the walled garden has been transformed. Inside the greenhouse, crops that once seemed impossible - like peppers, heritage tomatoes, and microgreens - are now thriving. Even in colder months, the insulated structure stabilises temperatures, enabling frost-tolerant varieties to grow successfully throughout the winter.

The greenhouse has also become a hub for organic training courses, including their on-site Sustainable Food Garden programme, where participants learn soil-building techniques, crop planning, and how to grow food in small, sustainable spaces.

Led by expert grower Nick Major, the team is now experimenting with local heritage varieties, expanding their biodiversity efforts while supporting the local food economy.

More Than a Greenhouse: A Platform for Learning and Biodiversity

Faldonside Eco is not just growing food - it’s cultivating knowledge, community, and ecological resilience. Alongside the greenhouse, the estate features:

• A heritage orchard

• A medicinal apothecary

• A wildlife pond

• Expanding rewilding zones supporting pine martens and other species, in collaboration with the Vincent Wildlife Trust

This work was recently featured on BBC Scotland’s Landward, shining a national spotlight on their model of integrated conservation and regenerative agriculture.

Words from the Team

Karen Blackport, Director of Faldonside Eco, shared:

"We were initially worried that the weather in the Borders would limit our growing efforts. But once we discovered Keder, we realised we could grow an incredible variety of crops - even heat-loving ones - all year round.

The team were fantastic. From placing our deposit in October to having the fully assembled greenhouse ready by mid-March, the process was seamless. We’re absolutely delighted with the final result and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Keder to anyone."

Electra Hatcher, General Business Director at Keder Greenhouse, added:

“Jamie and the Faldonside team were a pleasure to work with. Nick even took our crew out to dinner one evening - it was a truly collaborative experience. It's been exciting to watch their garden thrive so quickly.”

Preserving the Past, Growing the Future

At Keder Greenhouse, we’ve long supported historic estates and heritage landscapes. Our greenhouses are designed not only for strength and longevity but to complement period architecture and honour the unique character of traditional walled gardens.

Whether restoring a Georgian kitchen plot or supporting a modern rewilding initiative, our work at places like Faldonside proves that historical sensitivity, ecological stewardship, and productive growing can go hand in hand.

Looking Ahead

Faldonside Eco is far from finished. In 2026, they’ll be launching eco-accommodation on-site, offering guests the chance to stay, learn, and experience a thriving permaculture environment firsthand.

Their growing programme will continue to expand, with the Keder Smallholder Greenhouse remaining a central element of their success.

Inspir

ed to Start Your Own Growing Journey?

Whether you’re regenerating a heritage site or building your first productive garden, we’re here to help.

👉 Explore our Smallholder Greenhouse range: www.kedergreenhouse.co.uk

📞 Call us on 01386 49094 to speak with our team of experts

Let’s grow something remarkable - together.