The gardens were laid out by John Tweedie (1775-1862), a native of Lanarkshire who worked at Castlehill in Ayr and in 1816 came to work at Blairquhan. Afterwards he laid out the gardens at Eglinton Castle and, in 1825, he emigrated to Argentina where he became a leading agriculturist and plant-hunter.

Unusually there are only three walls, the fourth wall being unnecessary because of the rising ground to the South. The main wall is pierced by flues so that it could be heated to protect the fruit trees in frosty weather.

The glasshouse is the original one built in 1820, though the glass panes have been replaced.