Life in the Highlands

Be smart. Be nice. Do what you love...but above all have fun and see you on the other side!

2011-09-17T06:06:00.029+04:00

I haven't posted on here for a while, so thought I had better update!

Well immediately after climate camp (yes back in 2008!), I met my future husband. So you can see why I have been busy what running up and down the country. organising a wedding and settling down to married life.

After a two year courtship we were eventually married on 14th August 2010, so we have just celebrated our first anniversary together. The time has literally flown by!

Married life has, of course, brought changes, not least having to consider someone else. As with any married couple we are looking forward...and we are all set to move from the Highlands shortly to start a new life together. My husband shares my love of travelling and adventure so we are going to spend sometime in Africa in my hubby's ancestral home of Nigeria.

I am very excited as I am finally going to realise my dream of travelling Africa overland to Nigeria...a journey which will take us through many countries on the West Coast of Africa.

My passion for growing and cooking has now expanded immensely to include African foods and ingredients. Even if I say so myself I make a few dishes that I am rather proud of. My favourite is Jollof Rice, Suya, Egusi Soup, Puff Puff (a type of African Doughnut)...I have even managed to make African pies a sort of small pastie which is very tasty. I hope to be able to try my hand at growing Tropical Yams, Plantain (Banana) and Okra. I am sure that the challenges will be many but I am so looking forward to them, good, bad or indifferent.

For those who would like to follow Ann and Shane's Amazing Adventures I have started a separate blog which I hope to be able to update on our travels and sharing our experiences.

Climate Camp 2008

2008-08-18T21:41:00.019+04:00

It was so off the wall i had to do it! Travel to Hoo Peninsula in Kent and join the Climate Camp in an attempt to make a difference! For the uninitiated it may seem like a bunch of hippies just setting up a camp, but i'm no hippy and there where plenty just like me, normal people who held down responsible jobs.

Like minded people gathered together and for one week, formed a self sustained community to look at how to tackle the root causes of climate change. The idea was to be able to live sustainably for a week, to explore problems and propose solutions; educate and pass on skills to prepare for a future in order to burn less energy. These ordinary people working together to look at how to turn things around and look at the longer term solutions needed around climate change. Now i wouldn't want you to get the idea this was just a British thing, there are climate camps taking place around the World in Australia, Canada, Germany, Sweden, US and Iceland. The Australian camp had over 1000 people who got involved and blocked the railway lines to the Newcastle Coal Port.

On arrival at Strood, I was picked up with others from the Station. Legal Advisors advised us on our rights as the Police were stopping and searching under Section 60 as you were entering and leaving the site. The camp was legal but the police had a strong presence around the site, at first this was a tad intimidating but once you got used to this procedure then it was actually fun and the Police on the whole where light hearteded but thorough in their searches. Once through this procedure it was full ahead to the camp.

My first impression of the camp was the sheer size and number of people there. Camping around the central workshop tents in 'neighbourhoods' based on geographical area; i was in the Scotland and Newcastle Barrio. In this neighbourhood you lived, slept and eat and made decisions for daily living. Everyone contributed to the running of the neighbourhood, chopping vegetables, cooking, washing up, tidying, making fire, recycling, cleaning, clearing rubbish and welcoming people. Each person did their bit to keep the site running which meant it was a functioning collectively run site. The second tier was the Campwide work which needed teams to ensure things happened. You signed up for these at the jobshop, you could volunteer for as much or as little as you felt you wanted to do. There was a daily timetable of workshops that you could attend based in different tents from Christian Aid Climate looking at climate change and poverty to Vegan cake baking sessions where you learnt to cook and provide food to the camp, with something for everyone. One of my favourite was One World Many Voices; How to engage with people from different cultural backgrounds. The programme was varied and informative.

The week culminated with a mass protest on the Saturday. A contingent of campaigners went on the ‘Orange’ march on the day of mass action. The march was a family friendly affair, with people dressed in bright colours, carrying beautifully made banners with slogans like ‘coal kills’, ‘burning our future: no new coal’; and ‘yes to Kingsnorth workers, no to E.ON bosses’.

We marched from climate camp to Kingsnorth power station, picking up local residents as we went along. As we walked, residents came out to talk to us and cars slowed down to cheer or talk. We gave out a leaflet looking at the impact of climate change in Kent. It highlighted the impact of new coal power in the UK and the devastating effect that it will have in the local area, as well as on the poorest people in the world.

It took us about two hours to reach Kingsnorth, and we were greeted initially by only a small number of police. With music and speeches, it was time to break out the sandwiches. The speakers shouted above the noise of a police helicopter overhead, and gave impassioned speeches covering workers’ rights, impact of climate change and poverty on women, the contribution of capitalism to climate change and a speaker from Kingsnorth Climate Action Medway, who are local campaigners, who spoke out about the effects of Kingsnorth, not only in their backyard, but also on the rest of the world.

The march headed back towards the camp, to the sound of steel drums, the time passed quickly. With a detour through the village of Hoo to talk to more people about what we were doing and why, and to pop into a shop to get some supplies for the evening’s celebrations.

There was a round up of all the day's activity, and people headed to their various neighbourhoods to eat, drink and dance to the sound of the peddle powered sound system.

So what is it all about? Energy company E.ON are proposing to replace the existing coal power station with a new one. Coal is the most polluting way of generating electricity and is a step backward in the UK's commitment to fight climate change. E.ON the German utility giant is Britain's single biggest greenhouse gas polluter. The company is aiming to have Kingsnorth 2 built by 2012. Despite claims that the new plant will be more efficient, it is estimated that it will emit 8.4 million tonnes of climate changing pollutants every year, compared to the 8.7 million tonnes the existing plant releases annually, and nowhere near the 80% reductions needed to combat global warming.

So what did i get out of it? I met loads of amazing people, challenged myself and had fun but more importantly i learnt a huge amount about renewable energy and the impact of our energy choices on global climate!

"Kingsnorth is a terrible idea. One power plant with a lifetime of several decades will destroy the efforts of millions of citizens to reduce their emissions" James Hansen, head of the NASA Goddard Institute of Space Studies

"The new power station planned for Kingsnorth will output more CO2 each year than the whole of Ghana" World Development Movement

Courgette Soup

2008-07-26T01:01:00.010+04:00

A few peeps have asked me recently for my Courgette Soup recipe so here goes for anyone who wants to have a bash! It's low fat for those of you who are watching their waistlines! I've also added a recipe for a pastry dish to try and use up all those delicious courgettes. For anyone interested there is a very nice recipe book 'What will i do with all those Courgettes' which will perhaps help with the glut.

Courgette Soup

Ingredients:

3 tablespoon butter
Courgettes (Zucchini)(can be peeled or not peeled according to your preference - peeled gives a lighter green colour when finished) - the more courgettes that are added the better the taste

1 medium Onion diced
2 pints Chicken Stock (stock cube is acceptable but use two)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Cornflour to thicken (optional)

Method:

Melt butter in a large saucepan.
Add onions and fry gently for 5 minutes.

Add courgettes (Zuchinni) and cook, stirring frequently, for 5-10 minutes.
Add stock and bring to the boil. Cover, lower heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
Remove from heat and blitz with a hand blender and whizz until smooth
Return to the saucepan, thicken with cornflour to desired consistancy and simmer for 10 minutes.

Serve.

Tomato, Courgette and Mozarella Pastry:

Ingredients
1 pack ready rolled Puff pastry sheets – thawed
Courgettes - sliced
2 tbsp. olive oil
4 ripe tomatoes sliced
1x125g pack Mozzarella cheese – drained
beaten egg to glaze

Method:

Preheat oven to 220°C/425°F/Gas mark 7.
Have ready a lined baking sheet.
Unroll pastry sheets and cut each in half across length, place pastry on baking sheets.
Mark a square border of about 1.5cm with a knife.
Lightly fry the courgettes in the olive oil until soft.
In the middle of the pastry make a row of overlapping tomato slices, a row of sliced cheese and a row of courgette. Add any remaining cheese on top as available.
Brush borders with beaten egg and bake in the oven for 12-15 min until borders have risen up around filling and pastry is golden. Drizzle with a little olive oil, if desired, over the tomatoes before serving hot.

Serve with a side salad.

Serves 2-4.

Bon Appetit!

Edinburgh

2008-07-15T18:08:00.020+04:00

Had a fun weekend in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Loads to see and do and despite the short timescales we gave it our best shot. We had checked the weather forecast beforehand and it said 'rain' for the whole weekend! It was wrong - we only had a few small showers on the Saturday the rest of the time it was glorious and the sun even managed to raise the temperature on the Monday and almost make it Summer - well as in a Scottish Summer!

The first tour we took was the Edinburgh Literary Pub Tour where at the Beehive Inn in the Grassmarket area where we met our guides for the tour, Clart (as in muck!) and the clean-hankied intellectual McBrain who took us on a dramatic romp through the wynds, courtyards and pubs of Edinburgh's Old and New Town. There were hilarious duel of wits across three hundred years of great writing and colourful characters. Performed in and out of Edinburgh’s famous - and infamous - taverns and ‘howffs’. The tour took the form of an impassioned debate. In a lively duel of wits, they question the importance which the unique pub atmosphere offered creative and intellectual thought. Of course, a drink in each establishment was essential to get the full effect!

We dashed back across town to Grassmarket for our the 10.30pm Terror Tour and with guide Luke, who took us through the historic wynds and closes of the city. Here we were told tales of witch trials once held here in the old town and then into the infamous dark underground vaults where we were shown genuine torture instruments, where one of the girls in the group fainted. I have to admit i thought at this point it was part of the tour as i watched the lassie fall to the ground, erm it wasn't! The legendary haunted vaults are home of the notorious, violent and misogynistic South Bridge Poltergeist (they actually split up males and females in one of the rooms!). The Tour ended in the vaults bar in the haunted 'Nicol Edwards' pub. We had planned to have a drink here and move on... but not before we were introduced to the delights of 'Acoustic David' who turned out to be great entertainment! He moved effortlessly from Oasis through David Bowie and into 'Ten Puppies' (can't stop humming it now!) all in the space of 3 minutes! He didn't take a break at all it was just non-stop good fun, obviously 'Dave' was a regular here as he had quite a following!

We had pre-booked the Vaults Tour where with guide John we visited the 18th century vaults beneath the South Bridge - a great bridge built which spanned the deep valley to the south of the Royal Mile. Under its 19 enormous arches, is a catacomb of underground chambers where people lived and worked. The tour was very good and interactive....the only problem being that we were still recovering from the previous evening! So being rather worse for wear after our previous nights jaunts around the city we decided that we would take things a tad easier and take...yes a bus tour of the city courtesy of Mactours!

The Edinburgh Dungeons tour was a bit disappointing. It started having your photo taken on the stocks with a variety of props and a scream...not easy. The set up was very sophisticated but it lacked the sponataneity of the other tours. As we were herded like 'coos' from room to room with the actors, the boat ride was a welcome break to the monotony of the tour but far too brief. I was rather relieved to get to the end as boredom set in. Alas there was no quick and easy escape as in their usual style you are herded through first to view your photographs and then into a lift which took forever and just as you thought freedom was nigh....erm the gift shop! A protracted route through the gift shop before you are finally released. I wouldn't recommend this tour for youngsters under twelve as it is a bit graphic in parts i felt.

A more pleasant and worthwhile visit was to Edinburgh's Camera Obscura and World of Illusion. The Camera Obscura show was a fascinating and an amusing way to see the city. From inside Victorian rooftop chamber, you can view the moving images of Edinburgh City projected onto a viewing table through a giant periscope. You get to pick people up on your hands, squash them to a pulp and even make the traffic climb over paper bridges. The guide was entertaining, engaging and informative. Also from the rooftop were breathtaking views of the city and its surrounding areas looking over Edinburgh's Old and New Towns as well as Edinburgh Castle. Free telescopes allowed you to see the city close up or see far into the distance. Viewing panels help you identify the many sights and inform you about Edinburgh's history. The World of illusions on the lower floors was very interesting and interactive too and it was somewhat different from the ghostie theme.

Oh and guess who forgot to set the date correctly on her camera! D'oh!!

Paris

2008-06-27T17:08:00.016+04:00

Prior to walking the Camino de Santiago, i spent some time in France. This was my first trip and i wasn't sure what to expect. As i flew into CDG airport, we circled the Eiffel Tower and Paris.

In the space of an hours flight, i was catapulted into having to rely on getting by with my very rusty french. First hurdle was to get myself, using public transport, to the centre of Paris.

For the unitiated to France, things are as automated as far as possible. In Paris they do tend to have a good level of English but they always appreciate you making the effort to speak in french, even as was the case with me, if you are murdering the language. I found the trick was to really throw yourself into it. The French are very expressive and a lot of communicating is done with body language. It's really quite liberating once you get over that British reserve.

I managed to get my bus ticket and whilst waiting for the bus i had a brief conversation with the driver as there was a driver change so had a ten minute wait. Eventually i was transported to Opera where i still had quite a walk to Le Louvre. Donning my backpack i set about finding the BVJ hostel i had booked into. This was to be my first hostel experience.

Now if you haven't been hostelling, you may think it's for the young. If you are travelling alone it's a good way to meet people of different nationalities. You don't have to be young, and some hostels do offer double or single rooms. There are basic facilities, they are clean and well run. I was in a four-bedded room with three other girls from Czech Republic, Korea and Argentina. I was amazed at how well we got on and how much you help each other. I stayed three days with the same girls before we all went our seperate ways. What amazed me was the give and take that goes on, the willingness to help each other with the language, sharing our experiences and knowledge or to go sight seeing. It was a nice start to my break and forthcoming pilgrimage.

My plan was to travel the old Pilgrimage route from Paris to Bayonne stopping off at Orleans and Bordeaux. This way i would get to see a bit of France and wind down, and practice my french. Nothing was prebooked except for my Paris stay so it was totally spontaneous and flexible.

Paris is a wonderful city. The first thing that struck me was how neat and tidy everything and everyone was, it was indeed, tres chic. The bus drivers and police are immaculately turned out and black was definitely in. Not an unpressed shirt in sight. They really took a pride in their work. It was a very warm day compared to Scotland but everyone was still donning their winter coats. The architecture was fantastic, i could have explored all the side streets endlessly. It definitely gave me a sense of excitement.

Louvre is amazing and surrounded by so many historic buildings. I was intrigued to see how the glass pyramids fitted in with the older buildings, but somehow it worked. The large glass pyramid looked like it was floating on water from certain angles.

At night Paris becomes illuminated. La Tour Eiffel becomes an amazing shimmering light display every hour on the hour for ten minutes. The display dominates the Paris night sky. The Eiffel Tower lights up every evening from sunset to 1am, the lighthouse on the tower top sends out its light beams during the same hours. There are 20,000 bulbs that light up the Tower illuminations.

The Eiffel Tower was built in 1889 for the Universal Exposition celebrating the centenary of the French Revolution and is called after Monsieur Eiffel who designed the tower. It is built on the Champs De Mars.

Apparently the story goes that when Hitler visited the elevators broke down just before he arrived so he would have had to climb the 1665 steps to the top. He chose to admire the tower from the ground.

Franz Reichelt designed and tested the first parachute by jumping 60 meters from the Eiffel Tower. The parachute failed and Reichelt fell to his death. However, the autopsy showed that it was fright that had killed him not the injuries sustained by the fall. The jump was filmed by the British Media at the time.

I spent a wonderful day touring the Gardens at Versailles. When i walked towards the Chateau i was amazed at the size of the building. It positively dwarfed Buckingham Palace and was far more ostentatious. Versailles was designed as a palatial centre of government for Louis XIV.

I couldn't believe the queues to get in at 10am, but they are very quickly and efficiently dealt with.

The Garden's where amazing, if you could call it garden it was more like a large park, not surprisingly i spent most of my visit touring the gardens. Avenues project from Louis XIV's palace towards distant horizons, enfolding town, palace, garden and forest. There are immaculate parterres, great basins, an orangery, a vast collection of outdoor sculpture and some of the grandest fountains which have ever been made. I made good use of the petite train to get around. You need a day for the gardens. I spent hours wandering around and exploring the gardens of Marie Antoinette. The Petite Trianon and Grand Trianon were again very ostentatious.

Only a small part of the chateau is open to the public; the State Apartments of the King and Queen, and the Hall of Mirrors. The Hall of Mirrors was the most impressive part i felt and photographs don't do it justice as part of the appeal is the way the light reflects and dances on the mirrors.

This is where the treaty of Versailles was signed.

Notre Dame sits on Île de la Cité an island formed by two meanders of the Seine. An impressive Gothic style building. Notre-Dame has had an eventful history over the centuries. Crusaders prayed here before leaving on their holy wars and it was here that Joan D'arc was canonised.

The cathedral, is first and foremost a church and several masses are celebrated each day, which visitors can participate in.

Notre Dame has some wonderful stained glass windows. The South Rose window is beautiful and was a gift from King Saint Louis. The rosette is dedicated to the New Testament and depicts the twelve apostles, as well as Saints and Martyrs.

The Cathedral has a long history of music, and still plays a major role in the influence of the Cathedral of Notre-Dame. They continue to have weekly and monthly organ recitals and concerts given by the choir. I went along one evening to listen to the Gregorian chants and it was amazing!

Still lots to see in Paris, so planning another trip at some point!

Skye Walking

2008-06-27T00:02:00.013+04:00

On the back of my trek through Spain i was keen to keep up the momentum. After being inspired by Andrew Dempsters book Sky 360 I decided to circumnavigate Skye. Unlike, Andrew Dempster who took a month to work his way around the coastline, i wanted to walk around the island in a series of small walks.

The Romans called Skye ‘The Winged Isle’, a reference to the peninsulas that reach like crooked fingers into the waters of the sea. A more common name is the ‘Misty Isle’.

My first part of the trek started after catching the afternoon Mallaig Ferry to Armadale around mid afternoon. The trip took about an hour and was very bracing to say the least but beautiful views of Skye ahead. Armadale is at the end of the A851 on the Sleat peninsula of Skye, known as "The garden of Skye". Armadale is one of the gateways to Skye, as it has a car ferry that travels regularly from here to Mallaig on the Scottish mainland. From Armadale Pier look across to the mainland peninsula east of Glenshiel, to Glenelg, to Knoydart and south towards the busy Mallaig harbour. The far headland seen beyond the right hand edge of Armadale pier is Morar, with famous white sandy beaches.

Once ashore again i donned my backpack and walked to the tiny village of Ardvasar where i found the Morar B&B run by Chris and Maggie. A well appointed B&B on the shore with very comfortable rooms and a pleasant surprise with indoor swimming pool. It was an ideal stop off for my first night to rest up for the following days trek to Broadford. As this bit would entail a fair bit of tarmac bashing i decided that a Sunday would be the best time to complete this 16mile bit as the road would be quieter.

After a good cooked breakfast on the Sunday morning i set off about 9am. It was perfect walking weather and not a rain cloud in sight. Very sunny and warm and no midges. I followed the main A851 road from Broadford to Armadale which was being upgraded.

A little further along the A851 i past the Armadale Castle Gardens & Museum. The neo-Gothic Castle was built by the MacDonalds in 1815. Part of the castle has been restored to create a museum.

I approached Kilmore (pronounced kil-more), A' Chill-Mhor in Gaelic which means the big church. The first church was established in the 13th century. The modern Parish Church of Scotland was built in 1876. Sleat (pronounced Slate) Church of Scotland where i joined the service made me very welcome. After the service i joined the congregation for a cup of tea and biscuit before setting off again.

It was a while down the road when I saw her walking towards me. Looking like she was out for a Sunday jaunt, she smiled as she approached me and without any preamble asked me 'Are you in a hurry? Where are you headed to?'. I smiled and explained that i was walking to Broadford. She informed me that i was about 10 miles from Broadford. Again she turned to me without any preamble 'would you like tea and toast in the garden?'. I was pleasantly surprised and not being able to think of a good enough reason to say no I agreed. Una was a very interesting lady who was a native to Skye. We found that we had a common interest in Africa and she showed me her African artefacts and pictures of her father who worked in Somali in the 50's. It transpired that she was a wheeler dealer in that she bought and sold oddities. She seemed to have an uncanny intuition for knowing what folk are interested in, she showed me a leopard skin rug that she had sold to a gentlemen who happened to be a collector. I sat and listened to her charming tales and of her adventures in the US travelling on a Greyhound bus and discussed US politics as we sat and drank tea and eat cheese and biscuits in the garden. Three hours later and having exchanged addresses i bade her farewell. I left with a smile on my face and with the thoughts 'only on Skye'. It was late and i still had 10 miles to Broadford to cover, it would be a late arrival but so far my day had been different to what i had anticipated.

As i approached Isleornsay (Eilean Iarmain) which means dry island, a secluded little village of whitewashed cottages with a very pretty harbour that was once Skye's main fishing port. A very beautiful place in a small rocky bay with the mountains of the mainland on the horizon, the views out across the bay are wonderful, overlooking the tidal Isle of Ornsay, which sports a lighthouse built by Robert Louis Stevenson's father. Gavin Maxwell, of otter fame, lived for a while at the lighthouse. The view to Isle Ornsay lighthouse and the distant mountains around Loch Hourn and Knoydart with the beautiful Sound of Sleat as a backdrop.

It is also largely Gaelic-speaking, thanks mainly to the efforts of its landlord, Sir Iain Noble, who owns the hotel and his own local Gaelic whisky company.

The road now opens to heather-moorland. I pass the Black lochs so called because of the peaty water. The road goes over Drochaid Airidh na Suiridhe. It was getting late and i was getting tired, i had to make Broadford before dark, the going was starting to get hard as tiredness set. The road seemed endless and now without the different views of earlier in the day, the heather-moorlands in contrast to the greenery and sea views of earlier. After what seemed like an eternity i eventually arrived at 8.30pm in Broadford, tired, hungry and weary. This was the penalty for my socialising earlier in the day.

Three days after my return home i received a letter from Una updating me on her adventures and an invite to write to her neice who had a health centre in Kenya who 'could make good use of a good brain'! As i said 'only on Skye'!

Pilgrimage

2008-06-22T18:16:00.045+04:00

It had been buzzing about in the back of my head for a couple of years now and finally i had the call to go. There is a saying that you don't choose the Camino but the Camino chooses you. Folk walk this ancient Pilgrim route for very different reasons; some religious, spiritual or as a nice walk, whatever your reason it is a fantastic experience, which will be unique to you and one that will help set you free in so many ways. There are many Camino's that finish in Santiago de Compostela the one i chose was the Camino Frances, The Way of St James, starting in St Jean Pied de Port in France. Of course, you don't have to walk the 800km, you can cycle or travel on horseback.

St Jean Pied de Port - Aptly translates as Saint John at the foot of the mountain pass, it is a very picturesque town, indeed, at the foot of the Pyrenees. When i arrived on the train from Bayonne i had that tumbleweed feeling as i descended to the platform. If Clint Eastwood was standing at the end of the platform, and i found i was an extra in a very bad spaghetti western i wouldn't have been surprised. The stillness and quietness was eerie. It was a bright warm spring day in February and the fruit trees where just bursting into blossom a good two months earlier than at home. I followed the signs for Pelerins (Pilgrims) to the old quarter and made the very steep climb up the hill. It was as though time had stood still here, the old quarter had a mediaeval feel to it. Eventually i climbed another very steep hill to the municipal hostel with my heavy backpack to find the Accueil St Jacques closed and a polite note on the door directing pilgrims a few doors up to 55 Rue de la Citadelle and Madame Jeanine. Mdme made me feel very welcome. I quickly learnt that the French are very expressive and my french is passable so i was able to converse relatively easily with the odd reference to my dictionary....much to Madame's amusement. I found from a newspaper article that Madame Jeanine was known as the Maman de Pelerins, or Mum to Pilgrims having set many on their first tentative steps on the 'chemin' over many years, indeed, Pilgrims were her life. She fussed and fed us all, her children.

Setting off - I learnt that the pass had only just been opened following the snow so the following morning there were nine multi national pilgrims setting off that morning and a sense of excitement filled the air, eight where walking and one, Claude was cycling the national route on his recumbent bike. With the exception of Claude we set off in two's to the pass to Roncesvalles in Spain a 30km hike. Most would cover this in a day but with my fitness levels, and suffering from bronchitis i found that this was an unrealistic target for me. With my new walking buddy, Peter, we walked at a very slow pace, uphill. I don't think i have seen two adults more excited at the prospect of setting off. Peter and I had met in St Jean and found we had common interests in nature, conservation and sailing and had agreed to walk together to Roncesvalles. Six weeks later we were still walking together, it was just the way it turned out. For whatever reason we agreed much later, that it was decreed we met in St Jean. Neither of us had any preplanned notions of what the walk or experience would be. We both had different reasons for doing the walk, and agreed it would be one hell of an experience.

Base Camp - In the event we only managed to walk 15km on the first day, our fitness levels weren't what we had hoped, mine probably more of an issue, but then again we didn't feel the need to rush either. After the days walk we eventually camped near the emergency shelter at an altitude of 1400m. I'm not sure who was the most excited at the prospect, me or Peter...both of us were playing down our excitement at wild camping, but secretly pleased we had made the decision to do so. It was to remain our most favourite part of the trip. Daylight hours were only short for the time of the year so it was dark at 6pm, a full moon lit mountains making it a very beautiful night to camp out. We were well prepared, and kept warm and had enough food and water to last, oh and a drop of Port to warm the innards.

The next day we set of for Roncesvalles. Having packed up base camp we headed off, fresh with anticipation. We didn't have to go far before we hit the snow, we were pleased that we had decided to camp. After the snow there was deep dry leaves and i mean deep...waist high. Neither was particularly troublesome, in daylight at least and being fresh to the new day. It was tricky but not impassable...unlike some weeks later when freak snow storms hit the area and left people isolated and the pass impossible to traverse.

The ruins of the old border post was covered in snow and it was impossible to believe we had actually crossed the border...to Spain. The border post was a quiet place, full of corrals and very picturesque. It felt like a milestone but we still had a few hours walking to our destination, the Monastery at Roncesvalles.

Roncesvalles - We arrived at Roncesvalles after a beautiful days hiking uphill for most part and then a rather steep descent through a forest to the Monastery. It was here that we met Denis and his dog, Caresse, who had walked the Camino the previous October to Finisterre. Denis informed me that this time he was walking to Israel and had been walking a while from Vezelay in France. What was amazing was the he was walking the the trail mendicant, relying on the goodwill of others for food and shelter. Perhaps how the original pilgrims would have done it, no money and very little possessions. I was touched by his belief that 'God provides' and i felt somehow lacking with my cards and cash...to us he was a true pilgrim.

Pilgrims at last! - After obtaining our necessary 'credencial' at the Monestary and completing the necessary formalities for registering for the walk, we were shown to the dormitories. We were a small group staying at the monastery from various countries; Denis with his collie Caresse (France), Peter (USA), Daniel (Germany) , Olaf (Germany) , Anna (Germany) and myself (Scotland). After Pilgrims mass, a strange affair delivered by five monks and in Latin. I kept giggling because one of the aging monks kept falling asleep and had to be nudged by his colleague when his bit was to be read afterwhich he promptly fell asleep again. The monks, however, realising that there may be a language problem had seen fit to provide a local who sat at the front so we knew when to sit and stand. After being blessed for our Pilgrimage, we ate our pilgrims dinner in the local bar full of anticipation for the next days trek. Eating with us were fellow Brits staying at the inn on their way back to blighty, a couple from Lancashire and a chap who had relocated to Alicante. They were bemused by the Pilgrims seated with them. The meal was a happy, jovial affair despite the different nationalities as we all had a good laugh.

The following day we set off again. It was funny but neither, Peter nor I, had planned or discussed walking together, we just seemed to fall in with each other, like two old friends who had known each other for years. It was bizarre, i was to find out that it was the Camino effect.

Unfortunately, Anna whilst walking with Daniel and Olaf over the pass the day before had become badly sunburnt on her face, her feet were in a mess with blisters. I looked at her dressing them and winced, i had managed, so far, as had Peter, with no blisters. I realised this was because we walked at our own pace, this was a lesson - walk your own Camino. It was a few days before we reached Santiago that we saw Anna again and couldn't believe the difference in her. The change was amazing.

Almond Walk - Over the following weeks, it was amazing how we could walk in companiable silence and look at the flora and fauna, simple things seemed to amaze us. Our delight was evident when we spotted trees up ahead and the pink colour of Almond trees, as we approached the flowers became more detailed and we could hear the distinct buzzing of bees going about their work of pollination. It was a tunnel of blossom, with petals from the flowers drifting down like a rain of confetti and the scent was heady. I have never seen anything like it. Later the 'almond walk' became a symbol of new beginnings. It struck me that a few weeks later or earlier and we would have missed this beautiful site. Whilst we rested under the clear blue sunny skies it was a place of tranquility, somewhere to revisit in our minds at a later date. I recall sitting under the trees feeling significant and insignificant all at once, it really put things in perspective. This was what it was all about. Simple things!

Spain - I was always amazed at how poor Northern Spain was, yet, the people were very giving and always willing to welcome you and help you along your route. Whilst we were walking campaigning for the General election was ongoing and the whole country understandably where caught up in it...not surprising given their previous history and Franco's reign. The days the Spaniards refer to as The National Tragedy. In true Spanish style they went to the polls on a Sunday and the night before was one big fiesta. Although this was tempered somewhat by several terrorist bombings in Madrid which upset the predictions as the people turned against the reigning government and ousting them at the polls.

In Spring, Spain is lush and verdant, a very pretty place not unlike Scotland with mountains, forestry and wind farms. Oh yes those wind farms. I had no idea of what Spain would be like, but it wasn't what i found. I think it's an undiscovered gem, they have canals and mountains. It's a place where Health and Safety hasn't gone daft allowing people to think for themselves and test the boundaries. They are stuck in a time warp but it's a nice time warp. It's a place where no-one has any expectations, no-one rushes and you can just 'be'. It's like a permanent retreat. Literally men can be men, women can be women and children are polite and respectful. It's quite refreshing when you contrast it to the pressures of our materialistic lives, of course, they have pressure but it's a different kind of pressure and not an easy life it's just at a slower pace.

The Three Amigos - At various stages of the trail, Peter and I felt guilty because we seemed to be having too much fun; walking, eating and laughing. We seemed to have developed a knack for sniffing out where the locals dined. Three hour lunches became the norm, nothing is rushed in Spain. The strange thing is that you adapt, become more laid back about it, leave the monetary world behind and find out what it SHOULD be like if only we took more time to stop, wonder and just 'be'. Walking is a form of meditation...it doesn't have to be a long walk to slow you down mentally and reflect on what's important to you.

We met Jose, a rather well built Spaniard from Seville who was huffing and puffing his way on the trail, he was walking the 100km to Santiago which would still entitle him to a Compostela, the minimum distance on foot to qualify for a Compostela. He fell in for a while and later we leap frogged with him along the trail. Despite his obvious lack of fitness, i admired his determination to do the walk, and like most people on the trail they were looking to effect change in their life in someway. The next day we came across Jose with two new friends Esther and Marie from Madrid with Jose being stuck in an open concrete ditch in hysterics. These 'three amigos' were having fun too. We spent several days leap frogging each other on the trail as they walked about a similiar pace to us. During lunch in a bar with them, we were told that Jose had started out with two friends, whom he managed to lose, not apparent quite how, but he had telephoned them and arranged to meet them along the trail but obviously he preferred his new friends on the trail, so this didn't seem to happen. He had forgotten his walking shoes and donned some canvas shoes. Apparently everyday these two girls had to organise him, but he managed to leave something behind, we reasoned that he would have nothing left to carry by the time he got to Santiago...good plan, maybe we should give it a shot. I have never laughed so much, he was a natural comedian and the girls were very caring fussing over him. Unfortunately, we never saw them again, however, we know they reached Santiago, as we saw Jose's shoes at a waymarker, complete with holes, but it was evident that they too were having too much fun to be Pilgrims!

Now a Pilgrimage is all about suffering is it not? Well yes, you have to sacrifice something in order to find something else. This is a slow process on the Camino...it's a slow but gradual change. You never see it in yourself but in your fellow Pilgrims you meet at various places along the trail. It's wonderful to see the people you meet at the beginning, when you see them again weeks later, happy, healthy, relaxed and fit. When i walked into Santiago, i was fit and had lost two dress sizes but i gained far more mentally, emotionally and spritually than i ever could have done laying on a beach.

Buen Camino!

Ten Pin Bowling

2007-07-25T02:39:00.000+04:00

Whilst i've been over the West Coast just lately i've been known to play the odd game of ten pin bowling and now i'm eager to improve my game....here's another way to get my weekly fix. Try it and see how you get on.

Funny Videos, Pictures and Stuff - Ten Pin Bowling

St Swithin's Day

2007-07-17T20:07:00.001+04:00

Sunday 15th July was St Swithin's day and we got Sun! Yay....now how does that poem go?

St Swithin’s Day, if it does rain
Full forty days, it will remain
St Swithin’s Day, if it be fair
For forty days, t'will rain no more

Well...we got a fair St Swithin's day so how come i've got rain, and not just spits and spots but that stuff whereby every drop is a bucketful?

So who was St Swithin?

Correctly spelt St Swithun he was apparently the Bishop of Winchester. St Swithun died July 2, 862. Whilst he was dying he asked to be buried out of doors, where he would be trodden on and rained on, in the following century he was regarded as a saint, and the then Bishop had his bones reburied in a shrine inside the cathedral on 15 July 971.

The story goes that as St Swithin was being exhumed, it started to rain. Unfortunately the rain didn't stop for forty days and forty nights....sound familiar? Apparently this was St Swithun showing his disapproval and punishing the monks.

St Swithun's day used to be a “feast day” in the Christian calendar, but it is now just seen as a quaint British thing.

Oddly enough, while most of us would rather not see rain in mid July , apples need it. If the rains fail, the apple crop will be a poor one. Well, my apples certainly can't complain of water shortage this year.

The Fatsia japonica is really lovely after rain, the water sits in big droplets on the leaves. Since repotting the fatsia has really taken off.

Well we're not out of the woods yet and as the song goes 'I'm never gonna stop the rain by complaining'. Sooo as we can't do any gardening. Check out the weather trivia site for the answer to all those questions that keep you awake at night.....like how big are raindrops?

Who'll stop the Rain?

2007-07-14T02:52:00.001+04:00

This just seemed relevant at the moment....we seem to take water for granted but maybe we should think about how precious it is and what we do with it. Take a peek at Water Treaty and Water Aid UK.

July 2007

2007-07-08T15:12:00.000+04:00

The weather has been appalling. I could've cried when i returned at the weekend. The grass was ankle high and the weeds were growing apace. It's a struggle to get outside with the weather and working away and to keep on top of things at the moment.

There are some highlights though. My first strawberry was picked and it is big and luscious. I haven't netted them yet but noticed that another red juicy one had been at the mercy of the birds. The frame is all ready to go on the strawberries and i just need to staple the netting to the frame which was built as a nice surprise for my return by OH.

The pots are starting to fill out now but they need some sun to bring them to their best. The rain is welcome but they are really looking a little rain bruised in parts but they are adding a lot of colour to the garden.

Another delight was that my nasturtiums which i planted from seed sent to me from a fellow gardener are doing great, they are in full bloom now. I also noticed that my nasturtiums from last year had self seeded around the apple trees but are a tad behind my tubs. Despite today being a cool and windy day there was one determined bee working the nasturtiums.

Those that know me well know i have a fascination for bees and wasps and often sit and watch them at work in the garden. I have taken the time to try and understand the role each visitor to my garden plays...by understanding what they do helps me to live in harmony with them. I have to say that wasps usually get a bad press being persecuted just because they can sting more than once. I can state in all honesty i have only been stung once by a wasp, other stings i have received have been by bees, and if i'm being honest it's been my own fault each time in all cases so I have the utmost respect for wasps and bees.

Blackie's bench is worked by wasps who use their strong jaws to take the wood, rolling it into a papier mache ball to take back and build a nest. This is a dead give away for a nest nearby. Wasps chew wood pulp from sheds, fences, eaves or barge boards or other wooden structures on or about the house. Try to watch their flight paths and where they disappear to and come from this will give you an indication of where the nests are. They are relatively docile unless attacked; a wasp will normally only use its sting to defend itself, the nest or to subdue prey.

Wasps build a new byke each year usually in the spring, they never use an old byke. Then come the autumn the wasps all die off and the queen will go into hibernation. When you see how much effort they put in and how much wood they collect to make a byke you wouldn't want to destroy one. I would encourage anyone to think twice before getting rid of a byke unnecessarily. What? I hear you cry - has she taken leave of her senses? Well, no, actually. Wasps are hard working gardener's assistants, eating insects, caterpillars and other nasties. They do have a useful role scavenging for the larvae of other insects, controlling garden pests and clearing carcasses early in the season. They even dispose of rotten timber. You may do well to actually encourage wasps in the garden as they do a good job of culling greenfly and other aphids.

Late summer is when the workers indulge in sweet substances - fruit, jams, syrups etc. and this is when they start being a nuisance as they search for sweet food, and whilst not particularly hostile, they will sting if aggravated.

As the cooler weather comes, the wasps become drowsy and more irritable, and this is not helped by them feeding on over-ripe fruit. They are better left alone when like this but then so would you if you had a hang over!

So perhaps we should give the wasp a break...afterall every being on earth has it's place in the ecosystem and work together......even wasps.

Happy gardening!

Random things about me......

2007-07-07T22:35:00.000+04:00

I've been tagged for a meme....haven't done one before so here goes.

In Blogspeak, a meme is an idea that is shared and passed from blog to blog, like a question posted in one blog and answered in many other blogs. I'm to list '7 Random things about me'.

Hmmm not easy i can tell you so here's my best shot! Thanks to Kenneth for tagging me.

I grew up in Grimsby, NE Lincs, which was the largest fishing port in Europe at one time. I moved North to Scotland at the tender age of 19 years of age...came for six months and apart from a couple of years back in England it's been my home ever since.

I'm a bibliophile - there i've admitted it. Thankfully it's not an offence but makes the world a more interesting place. I love books and have done so since being a small child. The internet has just extended that. The first novel i read was 'Kidnapped' by Robert Louis Stevenson. I read this at age 7 years.

I read the whole of the Encyclopaedia Britannica between the ages of 10 and 13 years old. I love knowledge and learning new things.

I love people, new places and cultures. I often like to sit and people watch, it's very interesting. I love hearing about other folks' adventures and cultures.

I once tried to 'stow away' on a ship heading for Africa so that i could see the Elephants.I was found by a crew member and promptly returned to dry land. As a child i was desperate to visit Africa. My first trip abroad at the tender age of 18 was to Africa!

I started gardening at age 10 years and have done so ever since, i was fascinated with Allotments as a child and all those plants growing. My mother recalled me 'gardening' as a toddler...although apparently my efforts were not always appreciated by my father!

I have always wanted to keep bees. One day i will fulfil this dream and keep hives.

Gosh that was really hard to do! Now i had to decide to tag seven others and here's my choice....it wasn't easy!

Here are the rules for newcomers to this meme:

Each player starts with 7 random facts/habits about themselves. People who are tagged need to then report this on their own blog with their 7 random facts as well as these rules. They then need to tag 7 others and list their names on their blog. They are also asked to leave a comment for each of the tagged, letting them know they have been tagged and to read the blog.

End of June 2007

2007-06-29T23:59:00.001+04:00

Not had much chance to get at the garden really, with the weather we've been having and working away. There's always a little ray of sunshine though in that whilst working over the West Coast the last couple of weeks, I found myself on yet another canal, this time the Caledonian Canal based at Fort William. The hotel was situated right on Banavie locks or as it's known Neptunes staircase. I have to say it's one of the most impressive set of locks i've seen. It was even more impressive when a large vessel the size of the basin was working it's way down the staircase.

Unfortunately it rained after the first night in Fort William so i was only able to venture out briefly. The area is very nice and the people friendly. I really enjoyed my time working there and look forward to my return visit.

I was delighted to see the little steam train 'Lord of the Isles' puffing it's way across the swing bridge at Banavie on it's way to Mallaig. With a little toot of the whistle (you know the sound that only steam trains make) as it went across you couldn't help but smile. This is the route, of course, which was used in the Harry Potter railway and further up the line is the famous Glenfinnan viaduct used in the film for the Hogwarts express. During the summer months you can catch Hogwarts express and travel the same route, a pure delight for hardened Harry Potter fans.

Back over the East side again for the weekend, and just for a laugh, I joined some of the girls from work and went camping at Grantown On Spey camping site, now i've never been camping before and after borrowing a 2 man tent off i ventured. I was really surprised just how easy it was to put up the tent. The camp site was a marvel and i was really impressed with the layout and facilities at the site....the toilet and shower block were surreal in that it had piped music, was very warm and those fancy lights that turn on when you enter! Oh and i must point out it's one of the cleanest places i've been. One nights stay has completely converted me to the delights of camping...despite the incessant rain! I shared a pitch with a rather nice 67 year old retired German chap who seemed to be cycling the world....he was amazing and very helpful and friendly. I did have a bit of bother sorting out my air bed but eventually my German neighbour managed to suss out the problem, erm we hadn't put the plug in the other end, so once he sorted this out it was all inflated and ready.....erm for it to slowly deflate over night! All part of the fun!

The Great Canal

2007-06-16T23:51:00.001+04:00

I visited my Sister in Law who lives in Lambhill, Glasgow last weekend and her house is close to the Forth and Clyde Canal.

The canal has a long history. The notion of creating a canal that crossed Scotland was first conceived during the reign of Charles II but it would be a 100 years before this was realised. Construction of the canal was started in 1768 with the canal finally opening in 1790. It is 35 miles long with a short branch 3.5 miles long leading to Port Dundas and was wide enough to accommodate sea-going vessels. It was one of the first man made sea to sea ship canals and constructed with no natural waterways included on its route.

The Monkland Canal joined the Port Dundas Basin in 1793, and the Union Canal from Falkirk to Edinburgh opened in 1822, creating a Lowland waterway network.

The Forth & Clyde was bought by the Caledonian Railway in 1867, and remained under railway ownership until nationalisation of the waterways in 1948. During the 1960s new roads blocked the waterway so in 1963 Parliament closed the Canal to navigation and it largely fell into disrepair with odd parts being used for leisure pursuits. In 1980 a report stated that the Canal was semi-derelict with little prospect of improvement. After funds were secured from the Millennium Commission, the huge restoration project started in 1999 on the canal which reopened in 2001 and with the accompanying restoration of the Edinburgh & Glasgow Union Canal (more simply known as the Union Canal), boats can once again navigate from Glasgow to Edinburgh.

I must say that walking along the old tow path which is now a walk and cycle route it is difficult to imagine that this Canal was once in a state of disrepair. Whilst walking along the banks the canal was teeming with wildlife, different fish spawning, tadpoles swimming near the edge and Dragonflies of all colours were darting in and out of the grass. There is an abundance of water lilies, irises and rushes. Part of the route goes past Possil Loch which is now called Possil Marsh Nature Reserve. There i saw a pair of magpies which i haven't seen since i was a child. The reserve lies adjacent to High Possil and Lambhill, bounded by the Forth and Clyde Canal and the A879 and has a circular walk around it.

On the Canal at Lambhill Bridge are what is known locally as the Old Stables or Lambhill Stables and the Lock Keepers House. Stable blocks were built at various points along the canal to allow horse drawn boats to change their horses regularly. The blocks were built to a standard pattern and were once handsome buildings which some, like this one at Lambhill, has sadly fallen into disrepair. Not shown in the picture is what is the Lock Keepers house and is attached to the stables. Lambhill Stables was and I suppose still is, an attractive Georgian building on the Forth and Clyde Canal at Balmore Road, built in the 1780s to provide stabling for the horses that pulled the canal barges of yesteryear.

These interesting looking access tunnels go into the side of the canal banking. When I looked inside I noticed a shaft with a ladder going down at the end of the short tunnel. I wondered what it is was for as it looked as if you might be able to go through some sort of passage under the canal as there were also gated entrances on the opposite bank. Someone suggested that these are inspection doors for syphons carrying Glasgow's water supply under the canal. I googled and found this: "When the Loch Katrine scheme was constructed to supply Glasgow with water the main supply pipe from Mugdock Reservoir to the city had to cross the line of the Forth and Clyde Canal. A syphon pipe under the canal was the chosen solution. This view shows the inspection door for this device, set into the canal bank. When the scheme was enlarged in the late 1880s a second syphon was built beside this one, with it own inspection door. A syphon in this case allows the water to cross the canal below the level of the main pipe, returning to its original level on the other side." So i'd say that it was a fair guess. I just love a mystery so will need to find out more about these little tunnels!

The Front Garden

2007-06-16T23:48:00.001+04:00

I don't very often mention the front garden as it's mainly a drive with beds; a long bed and a triangular one, a small patch of grass surrounded by beds. However, at this time of the year the Mock Orange 'Philadelphus Aurea' starts to flower. This is it's fourth year and is planted in a shady part of the garden as the light coloured leaves scorch from sun, wind and rain very easily as you can see from the picture. This is a beautiful looking bush and a real delight when in flower as it is heavily perfumed and the scent hangs on the evening air and can be evident some 15ft away from the bush in any direction. I planted this in this particular spot for two reason's one, it needed a shady site and two my neighbours have a seating area on the other side of the fence and i thought it would be really nice for them to enjoy the scent. Last year, when it was in flower, i recall coming home from work and as i was opening the front door this wonderful heady scent greeted me, it took me several minutes to work out the source and was delighted when i realised it was this bush.

As you can see it's planted next to a Ceonothus which contrasts well with the dark leaves and the blue flowers. I only lightly prune both these bushes just to keep them in shape the rest they do themselves. I also give a general fertiliser every year just to help them along. On the other side of the mock orange i have a beautiful peach coloured climbing rose and this is it's third year and starting to do very nicely and again contrasts nicely against the golden foliage of the Mock orange.

My other delights in the front garden are my peonies all just about to burst into flower. They really seem to like the position they have been planted in. In the triangular bed i have two, a red one and a white one. At this time of the year the bed is just starting to bloom and then flowers right through.

My other plants are Lavender of which I have several varieties which i bought these from Norfolk Lavender I started out with small plants and potted them up to see what rate each one grew at and then planted them out according to how fast or slow they grew and how big they would get. It worked quite well. I have a particular fondness for Stoechas but more lately have become a firm fan of the English lavender too. I still have a few spaces where i could accommodate more!

Ladybird fights back

2007-06-15T01:02:00.001+04:00

This made me laugh...if only!

Ladybirds under threat

2007-06-13T01:53:00.001+04:00

Ladybirds are named after Our Lady, the Virgin Mary. The red colour is said to represent the red cloak Mary was depicted wearing in old paintings. The seven spots are for the seven joys and seven sorrows.

The bright colours of ladybirds have evolved to act as a warning mechanism. Ladybirds are unpalatable to most predators and the warning colours advertise this. When ladybirds are attacked they ooze a horrid goo, called reflex blood, from their knees which contains toxins and tastes unpleasant. Not surprisingly this stops ants, birds and other predators from eating them.

There are over 5,000 species of ladybirds all over the world but only 46 in the UK. Some of these are very small and not spotted so there are only 27 which are likely to be found and easily recognised as ladybirds. Most species of ladybird are predatory – eating sap-sucking plant pests such as aphids. A few, such as the orange ladybird, eat mildews, and two species eat leaves. The ladybird was regarded historically as a magical animal – it foretold weather and happiness, cured toothache and increased potency.

Rumoured to have medicinal properties and some thought that ladybirds to be a cure for measles and colic.

The native ladybird (Coccinellidae), is under threat from the world’s most invasive ladybird species - the harlequin ladybird (Harmonia axyridis). To help the native ladybird, a national survey is taking place.

Originally from Asia, the harlequin ladybird was first spotted in the UK in September 2004. Since then many sightings have been reported, but these have mainly been confined to the south east of the UK. Much more information is needed to discover the true extent of the threat to the native ladybird.

There are 46 species from the native ladybird family (Coccinellidae) in UK and the arrival of the harlequin ladybird (see pic on left) is a potential threat to all of these. It is an extremely voracious predator which easily out competes native ladybirds for food. When their preferred food, of green fly and scale insects, is not available the harlequin turns on native ladybirds and other insects such as butterfly eggs, caterpillars and lacewing larvae.

The survey is calling for all gardeners, farmers, wildlife enthusiasts and anyone with a love of ladybirds to examine trees, bushes and plants and record all ladybirds, including the harlequin, they find. Scientists from the University of Cambridge, Anglia Polytechnic University, the Biological Records Centre and the Natural History Museum will use the results of the survey to gauge how widely the harlequin has spread throughout Britain.

Information can be submitted on line for the Harlequin ladybird survey or details can be sent to the UK Ladybird Survey, Biological Records Centre, Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Monks Wood,Abbots Ripton, Cambridgeshire, PE28 2LS.

UPDATE: I emailed the Ladybird Survey to ask what action should be taken if we see Harlequin ladybirds and this is the reply:

"We do not recommend killing any ladybirds and although this is partly because of the risk of native species being misidentified as harlequins, also any that are killed will unfortunately make very little difference to the population.

Unfortunately there is currently no effective control method that will only target harlequins. However, research is being done to try and develop one (possibly using a pheromone that only attracts this species)."

Just hope they find something before the native ladybird is wiped out.

Knot garden progress

2007-06-07T00:00:00.001+04:00

Inspiration comes in many guises. Following on from my knot garden idea i've been trying to design it but to no avail. I have been trying to draw a celtic knot but it's very difficult to do.

Now here's an interesting concept i came across whilst doing my research into knot gardens is to use a mixture of box, and two other evergreen herbs for contrast. So i have decided on Box and Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia 'Hidcote') and Grey Santolina (Santolina chamaecyparissus).

Whilst visiting Dundee the hotel i was staying in was originally a Scottish mansion house and had beautiful landscaped gardens. The dining room overlooked box maze which was absolutely stunning. It was, of course, on a much larger scale than i was planning but it's inspired me all over again to get the pencil out and get the design right.

Early June 2007

2007-06-04T22:58:00.000+04:00

The weather over the last few weeks has really brought the garden on and everything is green and lush. For those of you that follow my blog this is the bed that i planted up last year from scratch.....just look at it now what a difference to the picture in spring. I'm really pleased with the way it's turned out and there's still plenty to come yet. There's still some growing to do so if this is now what will it be like next year. You will see I finally put my step stones to the bird house in. I used flat pieces of local rock and buried these at the right places for my step. It's amazing the difference this makes for access. Found another poppy growing which i've replanted so must have been from seed last year. I love poppy's and plan to sow/plant more of these delightful blooms. The geranium that you can see is actually a self seeded from the front garden...i have so many of these now that they are starting to be weeds....but i just love the flowers and the way they cover themselves with flowers. The pony tail plant is looking good now...when i first bought this and planted it i was in two minds whether to keep it, pleased i did as it grows more graceful and beautiful. I just wish my cat would leave it alone, it likes to lay on the grass and play with the ones wafting above her.

The potatoes are starting to gather pace now and i need to earth up again. I've tried three different varieties this year so i am eager to see how they fare. We may have had a dry April but May and so far into June has made up for it...perfect growing weather. Put my corn in last weekend just have to get the beans and the squashes in. I've decided to grow all three together but due to practicalities i've decided to plant a block of corn, a row of squash and a row of beans in the same bed and see if this works as well as three sisters interplanting.

One of my first roses to open. The Rhapsody in Blue is starting to open her blooms too but with the recent rain it looks a little bedraggled. Greenfly is in evidence and i've been controlling this with garlic spray which i keep handy to zap any i see. Even my Fatsia japonica hasn't escaped....never mind i saw loads of ladybirds on Saturday so i'm sure they will have plenty of food to go at.

The mock oranges are starting to put out flowers now, and i have three of these plants dotted around the garden. I just love the scent of an established plant. My favourite one is a gold variety but this can be difficult to grow as needs a fairly shady spot to stop the leaves from getting scorched. When the plant is covered in flowers and when the heat of the day has passed you get this wonderful heady aroma all around the garden....there is nothing quite like it. I've sited my mock oranges where i can enjoy their scent. I also have a Mexican orange which has lovely leaves and although flowers but needs to do a bit more growing before the scent becomes strong.

Hope that June soon becomes flamin' and that the garden continues with it's progress. The weeds, of course, never let up but another month and they will be slower to germinate and then i can relax a bit in the garden - well that's the theory anyway!

Happy Gardening!

End of May 2007

2007-05-30T01:17:00.000+04:00

The garden is gathering pace now and this is helped along by the wet weather we've been having. So much water has fallen but the plants are loving it.

Finally my Clematis 'Nelly Moser' is in flower and with more buds to come out. I'm well pleased with the display.

Been busy again and made a start on getting the pots planted up, managed quite a few but still have loads of plants sitting waiting to go into the garden and containers. Also need to get my baskets done so they get a chance to develop a bit before i hang them up.

I was out at the weekend and came back with some pots and more flowers. The garden is starting to get some colour again but it needs sun to really make it bloom and shine.

The weather is not helping me to get my garden furniture painted either. Wood needs to be dry. June not far away now so hopefully we'll get some more sun yet.

My chives are really putting their all into flowering. Will be thinning these later in the year and popping them around the garden.

I actually planted my brassicas at the weekend so at least all this rain is watering them in. Hopefully by mid June it will all be in place and i can just keep the weeds down with the hoe.

Strawberries are starting to form but still plenty of flowers too, looks like another bumper year if it dries up.

Oh well weekend looming and hopefully the weather will dry up quite a bit to allow me to get back at it. Happy gardening folks!

Help Bring Madeleine Home

2007-05-21T03:13:00.000+04:00

Please help to keep Madeleine in the spotlight so that she can be found. Post her photo on your blog, email her photo to friends around the world. Someone, somewhere must know where she is.

Do whatever you can to help bring this little girl home safe and well.

Bring Madeleine Home

Phone Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or 004336 4 1883 731 for outside UK.

Mid May 2007

2007-05-21T02:02:00.000+04:00

The weather has been warmer but very changeable of late. After finishing off in the garden following a glorious sunny day suddenly the clouds darkened and showers ensued....great i thought just what the garden is needing. Then the sun shone and i had the most beautiful rainbow, not an unusual sight up here but this was the first i've seen this year. It looked like I was at Rainbows End.....was tempted to go digging for my pot of gold.

So well what have i been up to lately. Despite the weather being windy and rainy i've managed to get some stuff done but the planting has backed up because of this. This week i've got my onions in, not sure i've done the right thing in growing them from seed this year. They don't look to me as though they will make large onions later in the year! So i wait with baited breath. Planted three rows; two rows of white and one row of red.

When i prepared the onion bed in the Autumn i spread garden compost on the top and let the worms take it down. It was interesting to note just how nice and workable the soil was with this treatment and with a rake just levelled it out. I was interested to note that whilst planting that the compost was mixed in with the topsoil a good four inches down, a sign that the worms had done their job over the winter. This should give my onions a good start and will not be too much for the carrots.

The shallots and garlic are doing fine and i've sown another row of carrots, Autumn King and beetroot, Boltardy between the onions and shallots. I sow two rows of onions to one row of carrots. The theory is that this will confuse the lady carrot fly. The fly is attracted by the scent of the carrots which is why they frequently attack just after you have thinned the crop. Cow Parsley is a member of the Carrot family so it may well be an alternate host for carrot fly which could be the reason the crop is always under attack. In fact, there is an old gardening practice of sowing carrots only when the Cow Parsley is not in flower, ie before the flowering stems develop or after the flowers fade. This timing avoids the two important generations of the fly. I noticed today that the Cow Parsley is just starting to open so i can only hope that my sowings today will miss the attentions of the carrot fly.

The first attack comes in late May or early June and the second in August and September. Delaying sowing until late May, can help to avoid this first generation. Alternatively, sow very thinly eliminating the need for thinning.

Managed to plant a row of Iceberg lettuces today too. I only plant one row and when i crop them i do so by cutting across the base and leaving the stump in the ground. I then cut a cross in the stump and after a few weeks a new lettuce forms. This gives me two crops from one row and saves on space too.

Whilst busy in the garden i was very aware that there was a large amount of birdsong, they are busy nesting in the Rosa Rugosa hedge just outside the garden in the wild area. I've a bird table which is handy for them to feed their young and so far this year i've seen, Great Tits, Pied Wagtails, Chaffinches, Blackbirds and today i was delighted to see a Bluetit and Greenfinch. This is the first time i've seen these two birds in my garden and was taken by surprise. The birds that visit my bird table seems to change as the garden matures. I found an interesting site called British Garden Birds which i've found helpful in identifying my feathered visitors.

Clematis Nelly Moser is covered in buds and i've been eagerly awaiting their opening to reveal those glorious flowers. Typically the one that did open was at the very top of the trellis, so here's my first clematis flower of the season. It's a topping plant that if pruned lightly after the first flowers will give a second display later in the year. The flowers are two tone pink and striped. However, the only draw back is that if planted in full sun they tend to fade quickly but their beauty is a joy and eagerly anticipated. This plant is only three years old.

Gardening the Highland Way

2007-05-11T04:40:00.001+04:00

Gooseberry and Lavender Crumble

2007-05-07T23:40:00.000+04:00

400g gooseberries, washed and prepared
100g plain flour (All purpose flour)
50g butter
50g demerara (light brown sugar, granulated) or white sugar
50g chopped hazelnuts

LAVENDER SYRUP
1 teaspoon dried lavender flowers
85g caster (Superfine) sugar
2 thin strips of lemon rind
100ml water
2-4 drops of Lavender Cooking Essence (to taste) (available from Health Shops)

Make the lavender syrup by placing all the ingredients in a small pan and stirring until the sugar is dissolved while bringing it to boil. Boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and leave to cool. Add lavender essence.

Place the gooseberries in a 3 pint pie dish or other oven proof dish. Remove the lemon rind from the syrup and pour the syrup over the gooseberries.

Make the crumble. Place the flour in a bowl and add the butter in small pieces. Using your finger tips mix the butter with the flour until crumbly. Stir in the sugar and nuts (the crumble can be made in a food processor).
Sprinkle over the gooseberries and bake in 180C/gas 4 for about 30 minutes.
Serve warm with lavender ice cream, cream or yoghurt.

Note: This dish can be made with rhubarb or plums instead of gooseberries.

May 2007

2007-05-07T23:19:00.001+04:00

I was so excited having received several grasses and bamboos from fellow gardeners which they were thinning out. They arrived in the post and with no idea what lay inside i opened to see wonderful plants. I think you have to be a gardener to understand the sense of excitement of receiving plants in the post. Before planting i watered them and let them rest for 24 hours after the journey before setting them in their new homes. That's the thing about gardeners they are very giving people and like to share. Unfortunately my plants are not mature enough for me to yet share parts of my garden but i look forward to the day that i do. That said i have managed to share some strawberry plants so i feel at least that's a start.

Very busy in the garden of late getting things planted. We had a whole 10 days or more without a drop of rain but finally the skies opened and watered the garden nicely this weekend. You can feel the difference after rainfall the garden ready to gallop away again. We've another week of rain and then it should brighten up again but it will certainly give the new plants a boost.

Walking around the garden there's lots happening already, the strawberries are in flower and with promise of more to come it looks like a bumper harvest again. The gooseberries had been attacked by the gooseberry sawfly so i sat and handpicked off all the caterpillers and the eggs i could find. Having made several checks since it would appear that for now anyway i've done enough. The gooseberries have flowered already and i have small goosegogs already forming. The currant bushes are still in flower and will be a little behind.

These Nasturtiums were planted at Easter and have made great strides in growing. I find they grow better if you don't disturb them, they will grow on if transplanted but it really does slow them down so these days i just sow what i need where i need them. These are in pots either side of the arbour seat in the veggie garden. More have been planted but not showing through yet under the apple trees. The seeds for these Nasturtiums were given to me by a fellow gardener, Bob. For the small cost of postage he sent me loads of different seeds and i must say the germination rate is equal if not better to those i have bought.

Having made a good start by planting up twenty largish pots for starters, I've still got plants in the cold frame hardening off for pots so still more to do along with my hanging baskets and more plants waiting to be hardened off. I usually do five 14" baskets for the front of the house and usually include surfinias, geraniums and petunias. I used to add trailing lobelia but it's not very good when the weather dries out the compost so i tend to use plants that will stand a bit of heat and not go to seed just cos i'm a bit late with the watering. I find the trick is to keep deadheading and make sure you don't overwater them which is easy to do with baskets as i water them insitu. I tend to line the baskets with black polythene cut to size from bin liners and puncture a third of the way up the sides so that it only retains a reservoir of water in the bottom. To hide the black polythene i also plant the sides so that they are covered much quicker. I only need to water these daily usually in the evening and feed them once a week. Two of my neighbours have already asked me if i'm doing baskets again this year and when are they going up, but this won't be until June and they will stay there until the first frosts. Pots are hard work in keeping up with the watering in the hot summer sun but they are worth it. This year i've included fuschias too in the pots so will see how they do.

When i think of my garden as finished, if a garden is indeed ever finished, i always imagine lush green grasses and bamboos, interspersed with beautiful flowering plants with bright flowers that look naturally placed and complimenting each other...of course that is by day. I also would like my garden to look it's best at night when it's dark and really hanker after some sophisticated lighting. The garden at the mo is not mature enough to realise this dream but there are things that i can do now for the future such as planting the right plants. By keeping the palette light - i've planted lots of white flowers and those in very pale tints of pink or yellow that will glow at dusk and into the darkness. Many white flowers pack a double wallop in the evening garden: they're often more fragrant than brightly coloured (or even pastel) blooms. Some, such as nicotiana (flowering tobacco), release their intoxicating aromas only at dusk. Variegated foliage - striped, spotted or mottled with white - stands out at night in much the same way white flowers do. Any white flower looks good at night and you have hundreds to choose from in annuals and perennials of all sizes and shapes.

Add water in some form - a small pool, a fountain, even a birdbath. It will provide a reflective surface for moonlight and starlight, its gentle sounds lend a sense of tranquility to the scene and the extra moisture in the air further intensifies the scent of flowers. I have a birdbath sited amongst plants and also a water feature on the patio which i surround with big lush plants so that only the sound can be heard, this is quite effective and rather soothing. My larger grasses are illuminated using discreet solar uplighters and the larger ones are already quite effective at night, i plan to increase this through time and as the plants mature with downlighters. Solar lights give a soft glow at night and are very pretty. I also have solar lanterns on the fences too.

Of course, with lighting you are in control. If you have an ugly part in your garden at night you can ignore it... and only highlight the best bits. I recall staying in Aberdeen a few years ago and the restaurant next door had this wonderful garden that diners looked out on. They had mature trees with uplighters and the effect was really stunning. That image has stayed with me and one day would like to recreate that effect, of course my tree is only small at the moment but i can dream can't I?

End of April 2007

2007-04-23T00:26:00.001+04:00

I was well chuffed today when i checked my tatties, some where through the ground and showing life. The soil still looks dry but when i dig down there is moisture further down, it has been showery this week so that's helped a bit too and the seeds are romping away now. My carrots and beetroot have now germinated too BUT what made my day was settling down to weed the asparagus bed and noticing that there are yet more spears showing through, green and purple. They look a bit thin but then i expect that this is because it's their first season. Hopefully as time goes on they will become thicker and more of them.

As you can see from the picture the Berry bushes are in full leaf, i've underplanted these with Lavender Hidcote, to make a fragrant addition to the beds. Did you know that Lavender softens the tartness of acidic fruits? Even just a few drops of cooking essence added to a saucepan of stewed fruit can make a big difference to the taste.

I lifted some strawberry plants today to reduce the size of the strawberry bed and started adding the grass mulch to the remaining strawbs. I dug over the area and took all the runners out that were there and was pleased to see that all the manure and compost had done the soil structure some good. By reducing the size of the strawberry bed it allows me an extra bed so i can do a four bed rotation, much better. Whilst clearing the bed i noticed that the strawberries are already putting out flowers and one or two were in flower. This is a whole month earlier than last year.

In this newly cleared space, I'm going to plant corn, beans and squashes, commonly known as three sisters. In a three sisters planting, the three partners benefit one another. Corn provides support for beans. Beans, like other legumes, have bacteria living on their roots that help them to absorb nitrogen from the air and convert it to a form that plants can use. Corn requires a lot of nitrogen to grow. The large, prickly squash leaves hide the soil, preventing weed growth. The three sisters also complement each other nutritionally. Corn supplies carbohydrates and a variety of important amino acids. Beans have protein, including two essential amino acids that corn lacks. Squash contributes vitamin A. Squash seeds also contain quality fats that corn and beans lack. Anyway this is my first attempt at Three Sisters so i'll keep you posted on how it goes.

Besides clearing away strawberries, i've also sown more seeds. Swedes and turnip. The turnip is a bit early usually being sown in May but everything seems to be a month ahead so i thought i'd give it a try. If it works i'll be harvesting early, if not, i'll be sowing more seeds. My soil is excellent for turnip, like other Brassicas, turnip grows best in a moderately deep loam, fertile and slightly acid soil. Turnip does not do well in soils that are of high clay texture, wet or poorly drained. For good root growth turnip needs a loose, well aerated soil, for this reason i tend to sow my seed on the top of a drill (similar to when tatties are earthed up) as this is the only way i've been successful in growing turnip and swede.

In readiness for the rest of the brassicas i've raked level the bed and cleared any weeds that were there. I plant my brassicas in the bed that onions were in the year before. The reason for this is that i've found they like the soil being that much firmer. I just dig a hole and drop my brassicas in and then firm around them.

Remember the Impatien seedlings i pricked out into trays, just look at them now. Almost ready for putting into small pots. They have fair picked up speed in the last week or two. Even as seedlings they are easy to look after, just plenty of light and make sure the compost is moist.

These will look nice in tubs come the summer and remember to jam them in. If you want your impatiens to grow taller, space them quite close together, about six inches apart, but if you want them to spread out more, plant them at least eight inches to one foot apart. Also they are one of the few plants that will do well in shade and flower their socks off. In actual fact too much sun stunts their growth with smaller leaves and not many flowers.

In the ornamental garden the Chives are already putting out flowers and are a particular favourite of mine. I will split the plant up later in the year and spread around the garden as the clump is getting quite a size. It would make nice edging in the veggie garden and give me some herbs to harvest.

The garden is really gathering pace and the growth spurt is on. Some of the earlier stuff is in flower and it's a real time of change, with the best still to come, i for one can hardly wait.

Happy Gardening!

Spring has sprung!

2007-04-13T00:24:00.000+04:00

The weekend has been a warm one and the mercury hit 23 degrees C - that's hot for Scotland at this time of the year.

Already the neighbours are in regular grass cutting mode during the week and the grass looks like it does in summer. One set of neighbours are already on their second day with the bbq. I didn't have the heart to spoil their peace and quiet with my mower....I'm pretty lucky with my neighbours they're all a great bunch so my mowing can wait another day and they get to enjoy their garden uninterrupted.

Walking around my garden tonight enjoying the very warm sunshine, i noticed my Spirea 'Bridal Wreath' has tentatively flowered....a whole month early. It usually flowers in May in these here parts but this year it's in April. That means spring is here!

Spotted a Swallow yesterday so summer can't be far away, the geese are also flying off after their winter break. Significant numbers of Greylag and Wigeon geese overwinter on the Cromarty Firth. I love to see these making their practice runs. I'm always amazed how they know to fly in a 'v' formation. A few oyster catchers are nesting nearby and they are so funny in that they nest in the unlikeliest of places. Their nests are on the ground and they seem to spend a lot of time chasing passers by. Some even nest on the local golf course near the fourth tee, quite interesting if your ball lands within a reasonable distance of the nest site, they have been known to try and move the golf ball; now if only i could train one to drop it next to the hole.

I've got lots of veggies in pots and desperate to put them out but i'm still worried there may be frosts. I did put them out today in the hot sunshine...not sure they were appreciative of the increased light intensity. Talking of pots i had sown some nasturtiums at Easter in the veggie garden and noticed they are putting up shoots already. Not surprising considering the warmer weather. Must plant more of these....it's a plant that i've only recently discovered and adore with a passion. It's funny how i've ignored it for years to become a complete convert.

Kiwi Jenny is still putting on growth and very pretty the leaves are too, they are multi-coloured and furry. With the promising weather i'm hopeful for a good display this year. Finally got the wires on the fence so she's got something to cling too.

There is an Almenchier tree just outside my garden fence in the wild section which is visible from the bedroom window and it's grown over the past five years to be a nice size and at the moment is covered with a beautiful froth of white flowers. This area runs alongside the veggie garden and is covered with Rosa Rugosa roses and in the summer they look stunning and afford some privacy from the public footpath and also attract birds and bees. I have plans to extend the planting further with some Blackthorn's (Prunus Spinosa) so i can harvest Sloes. Had hoped to get some in last year but time moved quicker than my planning.

Popped to the garden centre today too.....came back with lots of goodies for the Ornamental Garden. Lots of perennials to put in to fill up some of the spaces between the shrubs. I was like a kiddie in a sweetie shop. I bought more violas as the ones i bought last year have already flowered and i was lured by the scent in the garden centre. They sure add colour to the garden, sadly lacking at this time of the year for me. Note to self to get daffodil bulbs in this fall to ensure more spring colour next year. That's me though always thinking ahead! I also bought the lavender for the paths on the steps in the veggie garden as companion planting for the currant bushes. Hopefully i will be able to smell the fragrance from my seating area.

Whilst at the garden centre i was eyeing up the box hedging. D'oh forgot to measure out the area for the hedging and see how many i will need. The knot garden idea has taken root now that i've identified the possible space. At the moment it's not very inspiring with my clothes pole in the middle of a gravelled area. A knot garden may be the answer as i can still keep the stones, yet another jotting in my notebook for future ideas and plans fuelled by a suggestion of lavender for the box garden. I quite liked the idea and as usual my mind is working overtime and now a mixture of box on the outside with lavender on the inside of the knot garden is taking shape....hmmm must really get this down in my jotter.

Easter 2007

2007-04-06T13:17:00.000+04:00

This weekend is the the Easter holiday weekend, yippeee. Good Friday is traditionally the day for planting your tatties and I'm no exception.

I'm planting Lady Christyl, my favourites and have proved to be a good cropper in the past and taste just like a new tattie should. I'm also for the first time planting Swift and a row of Vanessa so not sure how they will turn out. So this morning after dropping my cat off at the vet for a check up i was down at the beach collecting kelp. Plan is to pop in the bottom of the trenches and throw a bit of soil over the top and plant the tatties in this. The ground has previously been manured so this should set them off to a good start.

I'm now finding that i'm being forced out of my home by the numerous seedlings that i've got growing in all the bathrooms. Most folk are reputed to keep coal in their baths but i keep plants and seedlings! Even the dining room isn't sacrosanct. I really need to get my greenhouse up this year!

The runner beans are really romping along and i need to slow these down a bit, so i'm going to transfer to the cold frame. It's still too early to plant them outside as we've had a lot of mornings with frosts. What a difference a week makes.

The courgettes are also starting to produce their second leaves but seem ok at the mo. The Impatiens are growing away quite nicely and are looking sturdy plants already. Will need to start potting them on in another couple of weeks.

In the garden the Asparagus continues to put up spears, Purple Pacific only so far though. My garlic is going great guns now although the shallots are a bit slower. No sign yet of the beetroot or carrots that i had sown two weeks ago, but it may be the temperatures aren't quite right yet....also it's been a very dry April so far, the ground could do with a bit of rain.

I'm popping to the garden centre over the weekend too as i'm going to try and pick up some lavender for the veggie garden. Thought i would edge the currant beds with it. This would make a nice decorative edge and also attract insects and bees. Lavender also repels aphids. I thought i would also see if i could get some more Box (Buxus Sempervirens) as i could edge the beds with it where i've got the kerbstones. The plan is (through time) to train the box so that it obscures this and again provides a decorative edge to the beds. Having got the fruit and veg garden whipped into shape (just about) i'm now looking at aesthetics. I want it to be pretty as well as functional. I've always wanted a knot garden and was looking at the utility garden to see if this was possible....i haven't drawn it out to scale but there may be room for a more simple design.

The grass has grown this week again and needs cutting again but this is useful as i've acquired some paper shreddings from partner's mum and useful to mix with grass clipping to compost. I'm really into recycling now....it becomes addictive.

Happy Easter everyone!

April 2007

2007-04-01T19:54:00.000+04:00

Another weekend and been a busy bee again..weather came up trumps with two lovely warm spring days and no wind. Things are getting busy again in the garden and i always find that April and May extremely so trying to keep on top of things.

Cut the grass which was needing to be done and finished off weeding the flower beds in the Ornamental garden so feel like i'm on top of that part of the garden. That should leave me in a good position for the long weekend next week to get things really moving in the veggie garden.

This weekend in the veggie garden i've continued with my sowing and started also sowing Nasturtiums as companion plants.

The Impatiens planted on in trays last week are doing really well and steadily growing so lots for pots for the summer. Impatiens look really stunning if three or four are planted in a container. They fill out and flower their socks off all summer long with very little attention. I tend to dead head them once a week, make sure they are well watered and they reward you with a fantastic display.

The courgettes and runner beans sown last week are through. So another wee while and these will need potting on....once they get started they romp away.

Managed to weed the currant beds and top dressed with compost. That should keep them happy for the summer. I also need to keep a sharp eye out for the gooseberry sawfly as last year they attacked one of my currant bushes and stripped most of the leaves over a couple of days...i managed to pull the caterpillers off and spray with salt water....hopefully they haven't managed to get to the soil to pupate. I did loosen the soil in that area and leave for the birds to forage for any grubs that may be present. Nonetheless i need to keep a close eye open to catch them quickly.

Whilst weeding the asparagus bed which had been planted up last autumn, i noticed that some of the purple asparagus was already poking through. No signs of the green ones as yet. Although will not be harvesting this year to give the plant a chance to build strong and healthy crowns. Will need to add some more compost to the top of the bed to ensure that they keep moist over the summer.

Kiwi Jenny was previously planted in the garden has also sprung into life and picking up speed. I'll need to get the wire on the fence next weekend so that it's got something to grab hold of. The leaves are looking promising and look very attractive. I'm really interested to see how this plant fares. I've planted where it gets sun for most of the day. So far it's survived the mild winter outside.

The apple trees have also burst bud and now growing, some quicker than others but i'm sure by the end of April they will be covered in flowers....lots of lovely apples for the summer. I also noticed that some of the geraniums had survived the winter in pots so need to get these repotted and trimmed a bit. I'm going to take cuttings too to increase the number of plants i have. Unfortunately i lost a fair few geraniums that i potted on as the cat knocked them off the window cill and i managed to chill a few too. Two lesson's learnt for next year.

Happy gardening everyone!

Climate change

2007-03-30T03:12:00.001+04:00

End March 2007

2007-03-25T23:37:00.000+04:00

Well what a weekend...weather was glorious. Hope it continues at least for a wee while whilst i get everything done.

I spent the whole weekend in the garden trying to get caught up a bit. The soil was in a good workable state, excellent for sowing and planting.

I managed to get some vegetables sown in the seed bed and i've also put in shallots, really felt good to be getting things in. Still to pop my tatties in and hopefully if the weather continues i'll get these in next weekend. Also been sowing lots in trays and managed to get the impatiens pricked out too. They look better already.

The weed seeds were starting to germinate and whilst it narks that they're back, it's better to get on top now before they get a grip. I managed to clear a small bed and a big bed, but still a bit more to do just now. Also planted some primulas and transplanted some tete-a-tete daffodils i'd been growing in pots, made it look a bit more colourful until the other plants catch up.

The grass has fair grown and could do with a haircut. I heard my neighbours firing up their mowers today but i've decided that can be done in the lighter nights in the week if the weather holds. I wanted to get to grips with things that needed a good four hours or so to get done.

I managed to get a bit of time sat in the garden whilst taking a break and sowing seeds in trays. Must say it was really nice sitting in the heat of the sun and just potting up and sowing seeds. The birds seemed busy nest building and the whole day had a peaceful feel to it...but the type that you only get in Spring. The calmness and freshness just before everything erupts and goes daft.

I noticed one of my cats had found herself a prime spot for sleeping in the sun....the water feature! She's known for getting in odd places such as bathroom sinks for a snooze but this has to be the weirdest place as yet I've found her. Before she'd decided to take a siesta she'd been busy running around the garden letting her daft out...usually a sign that spring is nearly here.

I also managed to get my Fatsia Japonica repotted into a much larger pot. It had been in it's previous pot three years and I felt that it needed a bit more room. When the root ball was revealed I seemed to have got it right, so hopefully it's new pot will be it's home for another three years. Not sure what i'll do with it after that as it will be some size of root ball. Will have two choices which will be to root prune it or plant it in the garden. It's not that hardy for the climate this far north so not sure this is a good idea, just in case we do have a really hard Winter one year. At least with a pot I can put it under cover, never mind have three years to decide.

Organic Wars....? You decide.

2007-03-21T03:12:00.001+03:00

Mid March 2007

2007-03-16T00:16:00.000+03:00

More seedlings to prickout and grow on, this time Impatiens....hopefully will stay fair at the weekend despite the forecast of snow. Potted on my geraniums and keeping them warm in the guest bathroom at the mo until the weather settles a bit, they look ok and hopefully they will settle down and make strong plants.

Popped to the garden centre on Sunday, managed to get some compost, several lots of plants for the garden, oh and yet more onion sets for the garden...just couldn't resist the display of colours and primulas. Just had to buy some. However, these are still to be planted.

Also assessing the front garden and need to get some more spring colour into it. I might make another trip at the weekend and get some daffies etc to plug the gaps in colour. The daffies that are in the garden haven't flowered so well this year. They have put out leaf but not many flowers, having researched this it look like it's been too warm for them, apparently they like a set period of cold for them to flower successfully.

The Peonies are starting to grow quite quickly now and
putting on growth daily. The longer daylight hours are starting to make a difference. I popped the supports on so that the Peonies will quickly obscure these when grown through and in leaf. These are definitely needed due to the weight of the flower heads, particualarly if they are wet. Nothing looks sadder than a drooping peony.

My Kiwi Jenny plant has started to break bud and forming leaves. Over winter it's just looked like a stick. I'm not hopeful given the climate this far North that this will fruit but i understand that the leaves are pretty and a bonus is the sweet (rose-like) scent from the flowers which are highly scented in Mid-June. I'm trialling this for Blackmoor Fruit so will be interested to see how it fares this far North. This new hardy variety is self-fertile and produces fruit abundantly in November. Thankfully they like moist conditions.

Well here's to the weekend and some good gardening weather...hope to be planting whatever it does.

Springs on it's way!

2007-03-10T17:36:00.000+03:00

Spring is well and truly on it's way and the plants are echoing this by starting to grow with the longer days. Managed to get out in the garden last week and make a start and it felt really good to get out there again. The sun was shining and it was nice and warm until 4pm when a fleece jacket made it comfortable. I managed to stay in the garden until the light started fading at 6pm.

Made a start on the front garden and started getting it into shape for the Spring/Summer. Cut the grass, edged it and weeded the borders around the edge. Looked a lot smarter! Just need to weed and feed the grass.

I cut rose bushes back very hard and whilst doing so i noticed that greenfly was already evident on the buds. An indication of just how warm the winter has been as this far north i don't see these until much later in the year...time to get out the soapy spray already.

Plug plants have started arriving and Geraniums are resting in the Utility room after there journey from Jersey. More to come. This is the first time i've used Jersey Plants and very pleased with condition and stage of growth. The plants look very healthy and the price was reasonable too, will definitely buy from them again. Must get these potted on tomorrow and will harden off in about four to six weeks for going outside.

I am planning to start sowing my seeds during the week. Have been making lots more paper pots and they are everywhere. Just need to get my compost ready and will start sowing in earnest.

Usually start beetroot off in modules and pot them on until before they start expanding. Starting off this year in paper pots and growing in the cold frames i've recently sited before planting them out under cloches in rows. Hopefully the paper pots will reduce the amount of root disturbance which can occur with the modules, that said I've found this to be a very good way to get beetroot growing.

Need to get my cloches made to warm up the soil. Have got some alkathene water pipe which i'll cut to size and put short lengths of bamboo in the ends and then insert these into the ground. Cover with polythene and hey presto....cloches and a lot cheaper.

March 2007

2007-03-05T03:59:00.000+03:00

March was off to a flying start with a Lunar eclipse on 3rd/4th.

During "totality" the Moon took on a reddish hue; the only light reaching its surface by this stage had been filtered through the Earth's atmosphere. The copper-red Moon was visible across large areas of the UK.

The eclipse was visible from the whole of Europe, Africa, South America, and eastern parts of the US and Canada. Although eastern Australia, Alaska and New Zealand missed out on this total lunar eclipse, they will be able to see the next one, due to take place on 28 August.

I managed to get some pics from a webcast....so here's the whole event in a few minutes....enjoy!

After Saturday's eclipse, the next to be seen over western Europe will take place on 21 February 2008, but late in the night between 0300 GMT and 0400 GMT.

So what has all this to do with gardening and growing? Well there has been a long held belief that plants are tuned into the Lunar cycle. Some folk even practice lunar gardening. This isn't just superstition either, there seems to be some scientific basis on which to support this. If we think about it, man has long been ruled by the sun and moon. Long before mechanical time pieces came into being this was our clock. It would seem reasonable, therefore, to assume that plants also use the sun and moon as their timepieces. I haven't tried Lunar Gardening myself but would like to test the theory out next year to see what effect it has, afterall how many 'man made' things can you think of that follow a lunar cycle?

February 2007

2007-02-17T20:11:00.001+03:00

Another January passed and the nights are starting to lengthen by the end of February it should be light when i leave work.

So far we have been spared the snow that had affected England. Last year i was uable to get to work for a week as the side roads weren't cleared, priority is given to the main roads, bus and school routes.

The weather today is warm and sunny with blue skies and great gardening weather. So i've been outside pruning and getting everything ready for the spring. I've also decided to reduce the strawberry bed by half which will allow me an extra bed for vegetables

Valentines day has just past and OH gave me a beautiful bouquet of flowers. The lilies have now come into flower and i'm quite taken with their colour and have decided to see if i can grow these. I did plant some in the autumn in a large container but as they were freebies i can't recall what type they were. I notice they are starting to poke through the compost so i'll be interested to see if they are the same or another variety.

The daffodils are really coming on now and again i have some tete a tete's that i planted in pots and these are starting to form yellow heads. I find these little daffy's more successful in pots than the larger variety.

I've now measured up for a greenhouse and decided that i can comfortably site an 8ft x 12 greenhouse which should be a good size for what i want to do. Will probably aim to get this insitu later in the Summer sometime.

Scrap the Road Tax Petition

2007-02-11T15:48:00.000+03:00

The idea of tracking every vehicle at all times is sinister and wrong. Road pricing is already here with the high level of taxation on fuel. The more you travel - the more tax you pay.

It will be an unfair tax on those who live apart from families and poorer people who will not be able to afford the high monthly costs.

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/traveltax/

Please sign the Petition over a million signature so far but more are needed.

End of January

2007-01-18T07:27:00.000+03:00

The New Year has got off to a bad start really with the gardening team being broken up with my father in law's recent death. He's finally gone to the big vegetable garden in the sky. Dad and I worked tirelessly together on my garden until his illness three years ago and whilst i've continued the work he's always been there to oversee my efforts and watch it's continued progress. He really was a dedicated veggie gardener who taught me so much and really got me growing seriously whereas before i'd just dabbled and pottered. He will be missed very much but i hope that he continues to watch over the progress from his elevated status.

Despite the strain over the past few months with Dad's illness i've been itching to get going in the garden and whilst the weather has been nice and warm we've also had a lot of winds which doens't help. I'm always amazed at the amount of stuff that gets blown around in the garden and just how much of a mess is left behind. The continued high winds literally scalped the plants but i've also noticed one or two of them have broken bud too.

I'm planning on growing some bedding plants this year from seed so have been busy making my paper pots. They are quick and simple to make and are perfect for starting off seedlings and can be planted on complete as the newpaper will biodegrade.

Need to get stocked up on potting compost though so will pop along next week to the garden centre and see what offers are on. Will be a dangerous trip as no doubt i will come out with lots of impulse purchases too.

Need to get organised and get my paint/stain organised for the garden furniture. I seem to have loads of painting to be done this year with the fencing needing a coat of paint too.

I also need to revamp the front garden and thin some of the shrubs and plants. Have a some rather nasty roses in the front garden which seems to have become overgrown all of a sudden!

We finally finished putting the cold frames together....hmmm a bit larger than i had thought they were. As you see one alone covers the double guest bed, so i'm hopin they will give ample growing space. We're now just waiting for the weather to settle a bit and then pop them in the garden and anchor them down. Can't wait to start using them.

Flower Arranging

2007-01-07T00:44:00.000+03:00

Mum sent a nice bouquet of flowers as a 'thank you' for Christmas Dinner. I arranged them in oasis in the hope that they would last longer. I find flowering arranging very therapeutic.

Whilst i was arranging them i thought i might try and grow flowers specifically for cutting in the garden so that i can do some arrangements over the summer. I often pick up bowls or baskets as i see them to use for this purpose.

May be one day when i'm semi retired i may do a flower arranging course and learn to do it all properly.

Electronic Petition

2007-01-06T02:55:00.000+03:00

We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to provide more land for allotments for people to grow their own vegetables

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/allotments/

This will do the following:

1. Allow people to save money.
2. Provide an area for abundant wildlife.
3. Help to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
4. Help to cut the amount of carbon dioxide in the world's atmosphere: people grow their own food instead of buying it all thus reducing 'air miles' (and shipping and lorry pollution).
5. Provide people with a community group to belong to and enjoy.
6. Provide people with a space to exercise while doing something worthwhile - it will benefit them in two different ways at the same time.

There simply aren't enough allotments around and waiting lists are ridiculously long in some areas.

Other petitions which may also interest you:

Allotments for Schools - http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/schoolplots/

Petition against demolition of Manor Garden Allotments for Olympics -

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/manorgardens/

January 2007

2007-01-03T04:09:00.000+03:00

Happy New Year!

Now the main event has passed i always look forward to starting the growing season all over again. My copy of the T&M catalogue arrived just before Hogmanay complete with DVD and this inspired me and i was raring to go. Well, that was until i realised that my ambitions were going to cost me a small ransom should i buy all my plants from T&M....much cheaper to raise the majority from seed.

Some may recall i received two of the Hall's cold frames for my birthday in November so in my quest for a bright, blooming and productive garden i'm busy getting these sorted and put together. I'm not sure how much they will hold in seed trays but the box says i have 12sq ft of growing space for each frame....what's that in proper money then?

I'm planning on starting quite a few plants off from seed and for the first time ever going to try growing on a few plug plants (just as insurance)....always been difficult for me in the past as i didn't have a greenhouse or cold frame and i found that trying to get these going indoors (usually in the dining room) is less than ideal due to modern heating and difficulties with watering. Much easier to throw water around without the soft furnishings!

I feel the cold frames are a good start to moving to the greenhouse and look forward to seeing what can be achieved, afterall a cold frame is just a mini-greenhouse and ideal for the cultivation of small plants.

Once I get everything under way and fingers crossed the weather will be kind to me i'll be getting the greenhouse base in. Decided that the best way to do this is to lay slabs rather than a concrete raft. The reason's for this are around flexibility; should the need arise to move or dispense with the greenhouse in the future then it can revert to another patio area, also slabs laid on sand would be easier to be removed if required, at least without the need for a pneumatic drill.

I find that April and May are my busiest months in the garden getting all the tatties in and vegetables underway, also fighting weeds is the biggest job for a couple of months...any slacking at this time of the year and they get the upper hand, turning into an even bigger job trying to get on top again...much easier to get the hoe going early and sever the little darlings when they are wee.

I don't know about anyone else but there's still certain areas of my garden that are in bloom and shouldn't be! I've still got Geraniums flowering in tubs from the summer bedding, a penstemon, pansies and more geraniums in the beds flowering too. Okay they're not at their summer best but if it keeps up like this then they will hopefully make a full recovery for next summer!

Had a quick peek out today to see if the bulbs are poking through the ground and they don't appear to be....but then again we haven't had the usual cold snap they like so if they do show through will they flower i wonder? I read that bulbs need 10 weeks of cold before they will flower.

Interestingly if the warmer temperatures are set to continue with global warming we may have to resort to growing bulbs by chilling in the refrigerator before we plant them in order to get them to flower. Thankfully daffodils don't require such a long chilling as tulips. If bulbs do not have the correct chilling time some will not grow and others will produce stunted stalks. I noted last year we had a relatively warm winter, and some of my less exposed daffies were stunted, this may perhaps explain the reason why. Ach well we'll see what happens this spring when they venture forth.

December 2006

2006-12-03T23:56:00.000+03:00

Well here we are another December....what happened to the year! Doesn't seem five minutes since i was packing all the decorations away and thinking that was it all over for another year. I always look forward after Christmas - by the time you get back into routine it's usually February and then you see a difference in the daylight lengths and Spring is on it's way! The beginning of the growing season. Although so far this year winter hasn't really started and i'm beginning to wonder if it will.

I've started my christmas shopping and if i hear one more Christmas song i think i'll scream. Managed to get out yesterday to do a bit of shopping after panicking and realising that it was less than a month away. That's the thing about Christmas it comes ready or not! It will be all worth it on the day i'm sure and at least i'll have time to relax (well that's the plan anyway).

With the weather still acting strangely i've plants in flower that should be resting over the colder months. This ox-eye daisy has started flowering again and putting on new growth.

Roses are still putting out buds too and some have dropped all their leaves and continue to flower, bizarre.

The decidous shrubs have taken their time this year in dropping their leaves and some are still stubbornly hanging on to them.

The waiting continues to see the first flowers on my Fatsia Japonica....as you can see a few more heads are out but still not flowering as yet and here we are in December. It's only down to the exceptionally mild weather at the moment that these haven't been killed by frost, so i wouldn't expect to see flowers every year.

I'm told that the flowers are really insignificant and it's looking that way, just as well i was growing it for the bold leaves as an architectural plant.

The cold frames i received for my birthday are still in their boxes. The weather has been so changeable with high winds that it's been impossible to get anything done in the garden. We've also had a lot of rain which has left the ground soggy too. I've still got some tidying up to do at the front of the house and will have to factor this in at some point.

Well back to the Christmas preparations... start of the Christmas social nights next week....life's hard for some isn't it?

Mid November 2006

2006-11-18T03:28:00.000+03:00

The grass is still growing and I had to take a chance and mow it last week, seemed to have benefitted from the haircut as it's looking very smart at the mo. The crazy weather continues with trees dropping their leaves and plants which should be dormant putting out flowers and more growth. The birds are still nesting and one wonders what will happen to them if winter hits with a venegance. They have hardly touched the feeders I filled for them. We've finally had some snow today particularly on the hills. Other areas had it in spades and it caused a bit of bother on the roads.

Continuing to tidy up the garden and have just about cleared all the beds and top dressed them ready for the spring. I've still got garlic to go in but the weather has been very changeable over the weekends and the nights dark early so really restricted to how much time I've got in the garden at the mo.

I've aged another year since my last post and for my birthday now have two cold frames as a result which I'm delighted with. They will make such a difference in the spring to getting underway. Also looking at greenhouses for next year and looking forward to getting that up and running.

All the apples have now been harvested and either eaten or stored. Planning on adding to the apple collection with a cooker next year and didn't want a Bramley but have managed to find a variety called Annie Elizabeth so will be preparing the soil for one of these to go in next Autumn. Will try this on a MM106 rootstock as this shouldn't then grow too big. The nasturtiums are also still flowering in this part of the garden but have died off in the other parts so this is an indication how much shelter the wind netting provides.

The asparagus bed was finished just in time for the plants arriving so have popped them in and top dressed them. Hopefully they should survive the winter with a bit of protection from yours truly. I planted 10 Crowns Of Connovers Colossal and 10 Crowns Of Pacific Purple, and really looking forward to seeing the spears poke their heads up next year.

The autumn raspberries are still to be pruned back with the blackberry canes. The currant bushes are all pruned and ready for the winter.

Not long to Christmas now and it doesn't feel like winter at all but I always think once we have that past Spring is never far away with the lighter nights and we'll be back growing everything again.

Thinking ahead to next year i've placed my potato order. My order for next season consists of Lady Christyl - I know I said I was going to grow something else but I really do like the flavour of these earlies, Swift and also giving Vanessa a try.

Another crop i'm going to try is Sweetcorn Swift F1. This will be a first for me and looking forward to seeing how i get on with this. I love sweetcorn and really looking forward to picking my own juicy cobs - delicious. I am really struggling for space now with all the things I would like to grow.

In the Ornamental garden I did manage to get another bed planted before the soil cooled down so really don't have much to do next year by way of planting to get it all finished off. I've noticed a big difference in the soil temperature despite the milder weather.

The Fatsia Japonica continues to put out it's first flowers and I'm waiting in anticipation for the full effect. We've had a few cold snaps of late and the plant doesn't seem bothered by it at all which is very encouraging. Keep planning to keep it indoors but think I will wait until it's flowered now.

November 2006

2006-11-02T01:45:00.000+03:00

Despite the worst of the recent weather there are still some plants that are continuing to flower. The Fatisa Japonica is now starting to put out it's first flower of the year and i eagerly await this as it is the first year it has flowered as the Fatsia has to be mature before it will flower and mine is now three years old. The plant is grown in a pot and is needing to be repotted and i was in two minds whether to repot in the autumn or the spring, i'm so glad i decided to wait until the spring.

I find the Fatsia a stunning, architectural plant and is lovely when it's rains, as the rain stays on the leaves creating further interest and really set off the leaves. Fatsia is better as a specimen plant on it's own where it can make a nice impact. I was planning a fig to compliment it for next year in another pot.

I'm now picking Apple Greensleeves in earnest and they are lovely, i need to get these wrapped and stored for the winter. The recent high winds didn't help matters resulting in a quite a few windfalls so these will need to be eaten pretty quickly and i've left these on the window cill meantime. I've still one or two Scrumptious ripening but not in earnest yet. Likewise the Red Falstaffs are rather slow to ripen but one or two starting to come now.

Notice how the Falstaffs have the lovely red tinge to the skin, the more light and sun they get the redder they will become.

The grass is still growing, albeit slower but the needing a trim, the unseasonally warm weather isn't helping it at all. Some of the plants are starting to put out flowers whilst the fruit is still on them, so they are very confused. I noticed that the large trees have become bare in a week always a sign that winter is truely here. I just hope that the temperatures also start reflecting this soon. Not that i'm a fan of cold weather but the likes of the strawberries need a frosting whereas at the moment they're putting on too much sappy growth with the wet warm weather and they'll likely suffer if and when the colder weather comes.

My patio rose is also continuing to give it's best in the pot on the patio, despite the wetter weather, significantly shorter days and the cooler nights.

My runner beans that i've been growing for seed for next year are starting to turn black now and should be ready very shortly for harvesting. I'll need to get them off the vines and into the house for drying. The plants have produced much more pods that i had hoped for so should have plenty to give away too.

I've finally place my order for Asparagus, i decided to go for a mixed bed of green and purple Asparagus. Having had the bed fallow for two years to ensure that all the perennial weeds are gone i've just got to add more compost and well rotted cattle manure which i saved from the spring to the bed ready for the plants when they arrive. The ground is very free draining as it's a sandy loam and plenty of stones, also added to this is the fact that the bed is raised about 19 inches off the ground so that should ensure that the roots aren't subjected to water logging in the winter.

My compost bins are full to overflowing and a quick look today showed loads of 'black gold'. It's sounds daft but i get a real buzz from making compost. It's the idea of turning something useless into something very useful and putting it back in the garden. I need to get the bins emptied and on the soil which i should hopefully get done in the next week or two. I've stock piled stuff i couldn't get into the bins so that will make a good start for next years compost.

I made a hot heap in one of the bins when i did the strawberry bed and cleared some stuff in the ornamental garden, this rotted down in six to eight weeks, whereas my cold compost heap has taken all summer. Well worth the wait though. For anyone not had the pleasure of making their own compost theres a strange sense of completeness when you spread it on your garden ready for your plants for next year, like the circle is complete.

Highland Floods 27th October 2006

2006-10-29T04:47:00.000+03:00

I'm afraid that there hasn't been much gardening in Highland this week with heavy downpours transforming the landscape across the North, turning fields and car parks into lochs and streets into rivers.

As Flood water swilled around the wheel arches of cars in Dingwall who seemed to suffer the worst, many folk were forced to evacuate in their homes as they were swamped with water, some in dinghies as the water level was four or five feet high.

Whilst the Highland capital, Inverness, escaped the worst of the weather this time around they weren't so lucky in 2002 when they were hit by flash floods.

The high amount of rainfall over the past week had taken it's toll and the ground saturated with water caused run-off from fields to cascade down embankments in a brown waterfall and create streams of water across the road several feet deep. The water also caused several landslides and trains are still not able to run.

Cars were left wallowing in a swimming pool that was once a road or drive.

Chaos ensued with roads blocked and commuters and communities were cut off whilst emergency services tried to deal with the fast rising water levels and pump the water away. There was just nowhere for the water to go. An added problem was the high tide which was due at 2pm. People struggled as some areas were also affected by power failures.

If that wasn't enough the same night high winds reaching up to 60- 80mph hit the region exacerbating the problem, trees where uprooted easily from the saturated soil. Closing any roads that weren't already blocked by landslides or water problems.

Winters on it's Way

2006-10-22T20:27:00.000+04:00

Garden is really slowing down now and autumn has taken a hold. We've had quite a few nights of frost shown up clearly by some of the shrubs which have taken on that reddish tinge after being frosted. The leaves are starting to drop and the rest of them are a turning as the nights are really dark. Daylight is fading fast by 5.30 and virtually dark not long after. Found this interesting site which gives the Sunrise and Sunset Times in UK ...being a little bit further North we lose a bit more daylight than our English cousins.

I'm still picking rasps and blackberries. The rasp canes are now starting to change colour so i reckon by the end of the month they will need cutting back. The blackberries are doing fine and still producing well. I noticed today that my gooseberries and currants have dropped their leaves so will need to give them a prune.

Apples are starting to ripen now and starting to get more and a few wind falls but lovely apples and nice to be able to pick and eat off the tree.

Picked a few brussel sprouts today as they looked like they needed to be picked. I planted Maximus F1 variety but they seem ok. It was a fight to get them off the stem as they are all packed so tightly and don't yield very well. Just picked a few and have a few little holes in them from the beasties but on the whole not bad.

They've not had the hard frost as yet but just been lightly frosted. They are still tasty but just not as sweet until they've had their first hard frosts on them.

The Broccoli is still cropping so i'm picking this as and when i need it....had some earlier in the week and it was delicious. Another F1 variety Marathon. Unfortunately the caterpillers got the original heads so i took a chance and cut them off and they have produced more of the smaller heads which are really nice.

The cabbages that I cut down due to the caterpiller problem are now producing smaller heads so looking forward to harvesting my first one probably in a couple of weeks time.

In the Ornamental garden there's still colour in some of the plants. My Japanese Flowering Quince is quite confused and started to produce more flowers probably due to the mildish weather for the time of year. So at the moment it's got fruit and flowers on it. My poppies are in flower still and seeding well. Meant to collect the seed but haven't bothered so i'm sure i'll have lots of little plants come the spring.

The lawn is growing significantly slower and I managed to get my autumn feed and weed on the grass and that's made a big difference the grass is really green. It will require another cut but it's been so wet this last week it will have to wait until a day or two without rain and then i'll just top it ready for winter. Hopefully it won't need much more after this. The worms are really active just now in the lawn and there's a few worm casts. People get really upset by these but i don't, i'm really pleased to have a good worm population and see this as a benefit. Casts are easily swept off before mowing and don't really do any harm and aerate the soil for the little roots.

I managed to finish off another border and got this planted up and it's looking quite good. I also managed to find a few plants that had self seeded in the front garden. I found various types of Lavender, Aquilegia Vulgaris and the biggest surprise of all was Crocosmia. Not sure if it's Emily Mackenzie or Lucifer as i have two types but i've a little crop of small bulblets and managed to thin them out and replant the surplus.

I was also delighted to see that several 'cuttings' had taken. These were just bits i had stuck in the ground whilst pruning. So far i've found a honeysuckle, buddliea, redcurrant and my biggest surprise Rose Gertrude Jekyll, although don't think this will come true but it'll be interesting to see what does come of it.

Progress

2006-10-15T23:29:00.000+04:00

Continuing to pick the apples on the second tree and still loads to go at. Had one or two off the Red Falstaff's and these are really nice. They're still developing but should be fully ripe in another month or so.

Greensleeves should be the next to become ripe and can't wait, they're more like a Granny Smith in taste and texture. At the moment, however, they are staying put on the on the tree and stubbornly refusing to budge, that's show's my patience - none!

Picked more blackberries and raspberries. Didn't quite get enough of each to make a pie so i mixed together the blackberry and raspberry, sprinkled with a little bit of sugar and added a crumble toppping.

Within 10 mins of it coming out of the oven it was half eaten, but it was delicious. That's what i call home-made, home grown fruit and home made topping, perfect.

Finally got the strawberry bed finished....still got a few stray runners to clear up. There has been some more top growth already so they must have enjoyed the hair cut. Not producing runners now i've trimmed them back as they are putting all their energies into new leaves which is just perfect. That should give them a bit of protection over the winter.

Whilst i was tidying up the bed I noticed the amount of whitefly that were made homeless...they didn't seem to do any damage but i've had a lot of whitefly this year and they're still fluttering around my runner beans and apples...anywhere there is greenery really. Must be due to the exceptional hot weather as I've never seen so many whitefly.

Apart from the picking of fruit and tidying up the garden is really slowing down now. However, the warm weather we've all been enjoying has helped to get ahead in the garden for a change. I'm sure we'll all be in for a shock when the weather does turn...but let's hope it's not until nearer to Christmas.

First year i've grown Broccoli and caterpillers had got to it so i decided to snipoff the heads and see if it would regrow. Which they did so today i managed to pick my first home grown broccoli. I was amazed at the difference between home grown and shop bought. I notice too that a couple of my brussel sprouts seems a bit short but are still producing buttons, will leave them and see how they fare as they seem to be getting bigger. The other ones are developing well and are nice and tight so i'm hopeful for picking in a month or so after the first hard frosts. Only thing is i adore brussel leaves but the caterpillers got these.

The cauliflowers were a disaster in that this was the first year they developed heads and i was well chuffed and then the caterpillers got them so haven't been able to pick one decent one. The cabbages didn't fare much better so i decided to cut my loses and cut the heads off them and composted them leaving the stumps to develop smaller heads which they have done so i should salvage something from them. Such is the highs and lows of veggie growing. On the whole though it's been a good year and i've really enjoyed it. Actually felt like I was in charge (well almost).

Picking and Storing Fruit

2006-10-14T00:10:00.000+04:00

At this time of the year those with fruit trees are busy harvesting apples and pears. Knowing when the fruit is ripe is sometimes difficult but not impossible. One of the advantages of growing your own fruit is that you can pick it at the peak of ripeness and store it.

Apples are ready for picking when they can be plucked from the tree by simply placing a cupped hand under the fruit, lifting and gently twisting. If the apple does not come away easily in the hand then it is not ready to harvest.

When picking, place your apples in a basket lined with some sacking or newspaper. This will prevent bruising on the way to the garden shed.

It's amazing how many people struggle with knowing whether it's the right time to pick and it is surprisingly straight forward and easy to do as this video link with Monty Don shows.

How to pick and store apples and pears

Storing apples for the winter is simple. Apples need a cool, frost-free environment, where they can last for weeks, even months in winter. A garage or garden shed is perfect.

Happy picking!

Mid October 2006

2006-10-08T21:11:00.001+04:00

I finished harvesting the first of the dessert apples, ‘Red Windsor’. I lost a few to earwigs and thinned quite a few as it was laden but still managed to get a good crop. The tree is now stripped bare and three other trees happily producing away and developing well. They all flower and fruit in succession, essential for pollination and also makes it easier to manage when cropping. Red Windsor produce nice medium sized apples with a nice sweet flavour, not quite as sweet as ‘Scrumptious’ but still sweet.

I picked the first two apples of ‘Scrumptious’ another dessert apple and these tend to be a fair bit larger than the Windosr’s but the flavour is really nice, the apple skins are naturally shiny too which also makes them appealing, and although they look completely red in the picture they are a dual colour. The flesh is white with a nice texture which is really sweet and juicy would be a favourite with children. Certainly you can’t beat home grown apples straight off the tree.

For anyone wanting to grow apples but worried about space I would recommend cordons, I have four trees in a 12ft space. They crop well enough to keep you going in apples and you can have more varieties in a small space cropping in succession. They are also very decorative and it’s amazing the amount of interest they generate.

Found a shield bug part of the 'stink bug' family again on the apple leaf...think he must be looking for somewhere to hibernate over the winter as turning from green to brown. They don't do any harm from what i can gather but they can exude an unpleasant smell if they feel threatened which if they happen to be going across your blackberries is left behind. Haven't seen these before in Highland so assume this is due to the hot summer we've had this year.

Rose 'Gertrude Jekyll' is still producing buds. It's a very pretty 'girlie' pink and has lovely shaped flowers. It is very fragrant and looks really attractive in the lower light levels of autumn, likewise in the summer at the end of the day it shines.

The yellow rose is ‘Golden Shower’, a climbing shrub rose and has grown quite well to cover a trellis and again is very fragrant.

Still blackberries to be picked and these are starting to ripen in earnest now. This is the second growing season for Blackberry ‘Chester’ and has produced very large fruit which is very sweet and full of flavour…very different to the brambles you see growing in the wild. An added bonus is that it’s also thornless. Despite it being the second growing season it’s still managed to produce a reasonable crop and put out new shoots to be tied in next year. I will have to move the bush though as I allotted 6ft of space it clearly isn’t enough and could do with twice the amount. Luckily I’ve a spot where I can move it too where it will have enough room to flourish.

Pictures of Highland

2006-10-02T03:38:00.000+04:00

Thought it would be nice to include some pictures in and around the area. Every season gives the outlook a different scene. I hope you enjoy the scenery.

Click on the filmloop to see them in detail.

Also thought it would be nice to see my plot via virtual Earth

Ziggywigs' Plot via Virtual Earth

Ornamental Garden September 2006

2006-09-25T20:54:00.000+04:00

This is the most recent bed i've managed to finish but there is still work in progress. The Choisya i had moved from another part of the garden and not sure if this is suffering some transplant stress or damage from the high winds we had...will see how it fairs.

I've still got some stepping stones to put in to the bird house. From the bench on the other side of the garden you can watch the birdies having their lunch. There's quite a few birds at the moment all singing, they aren't feeding much from the feeders at the moment as there are plenty of berries to go at.

I'm working my way around the borders and have broken them down into sections and work on a section at a time that way i get them finished and can keep them clean rather than trying to tackle it all at one time.

It's amazing how the border i planted up in the early summer has grown already, the Miscanthus Sinensis is already 4ft high and starting to spread, likewise with the Penstemon. I used Nicotiana, Geraniums and Violas to fill out the gaps for the summer and add colour. Must start edging the grass properly in the Spring. I had left roughish as i was cutting bits out for the borders.

The plants i put in about three months ago around Blackie's bench are starting to fill out too. I moved a Rose as you couldn't see the flowers and i felt that it was restricting growth on another rose. The Sedum Spectabile is now in flower and the bees love it. Been lots of bees this year but although one or two wasps not in the numbers we usually get them. The Climbing Rose is quickly covering the obelisk i popped in and i have pruned and deadheaded which has resulted in more buds forming. Still the back of the bench to plant up and this will be a memorial garden to Blackie...as her favourite spot was from this bench watching over the garden.

This rose is 'Rhapsody in Blue' and although it looks pink in the picture in natural daylight it looks a very dark blue purple in colour. It's a floribunda rose and one of the most beautiful i've seen, it also has a wonderful perfume. Very much an impulse buy but well worth it.

End of September 2006

2006-09-25T15:26:00.000+04:00

The apples are coming along but not quite ready yet, i have four dessert cordons Red Windsor, Red Falstaff, Greensleeves and Scrmptious. They all follow on from each other which ensures that i have time to pick and eat some before having to store what's left. This is their second year of cropping and have done very well. I had some problems with earwigs earlier on in the season but thinned out the crop and ensured that the cordons were well away from the fence and haven't had any problems since. Looking forward to my first apple.

The tatties were uplifted last week and left to dry on the surface this is some of the Nicola's. These have all been cleaned, sized, sorted and put into brown paper bags for storage. Any that were damaged ie slugs or more likely my fork i use straight away.

Nicola's did really well this year with no slug damage or signs of scab. Lady Christyl's were not so productive as they normally are. Nonetheless still a good crop overall.

Blackberries and Autumn Raspberries are fruiting well, still plenty to come. The Blackberry is Chester and has beautiful flowers followed by the delicious fruit.

The Rasps are Joan J and are a primocane variety so i just snip them to the ground when they've finished fruiting. What could be easier?

I'm starting to slowly clear the beds whilst the weather holds, although had a lot of rain yesterday but nicer again today, so the soil will still be too wet to work for a couple of days.

Blackie

2006-09-24T20:55:00.000+04:00

R I P - Blackie August 1992 - 24th September 2006.

My little cat died after a short illness. She was my gardening companion and used to sit nearby whilst I was in the garden. Occasionally checking my work as I went. We often fought over who got the cushion I kneeled on and she often won.
She will be greatly missed.

September 2006

2006-09-01T20:21:00.000+04:00

Been a bit behind in the garden just lately as been busy in other directions. There has been a noticeable change in the day lengths too.

We had a fun day last Saturday at the Great Ness Raft Race on the River Ness in Inverness. Nessie never put in an appearance but there were plenty of strange looking creatures on the rafts. Our team 'The Hoola Honiez' came third overall which wasn't bad considering the team were stuck on a couple of shingle banks along the way. Of course i say Honey's but it was actually 3 honey's and one dame! At least they didn't fall off or sink!

The onions are still drying on the surface but a good size. Another few days and they will be ready to lift. The shallots were a good crop too.

Still picking the runners in earnest. I've eaten some, frozen a lot and still more to be picked. I'm starting to give them off now as it's a case of how many can one family eat in a year! I'm sure i'll be glad of them come the winter.

The carrots and beetroot are now being picked. The beetroot is the first sowing i made. I adore this vegetable and just boil, peel and slice it. Delicious.

The carrots are the round type as my ground is stony so these fare better. The longer ones tend to be distorted due to the stones. Last year was the first year i had grown these and i was suprised just how big they can grow. They are delicious just a bit more fiddly to prepare.

Late August

2006-08-18T23:18:00.000+04:00

I recovered from the travelling and returned to work this week for a rest. We took the girls to Hardmuir Fruit Farm at Auldearn near Nairn and that was really good, they had all sorts of fruit to pick your own and a corn maize which was great fun...two hours spent looking for dinosaur clues in the maze! They also had go-karts which the kids could ride around the blocks of fruit which was great fun.

Whilst returning the girls in Bristol i attended the annual Balloon Fiesta and was really impressed with the nightglow. I also managed to track some rather good garden centres too but didn't have too much time to explore them fully.

I'm starting to pick carrots, i grow the round type and they're really gathering speed now and i cooked the first ones last week and they were delicious. I'm needing to lifting my onions and shallots, got good sized onions this year and good shallots too.

The cordon apple trees are showing a really good crop but still a while to wait for these before picking. They're all dessert apples and were very tasty last year.

There's still one or two strawberries but these are smaller but still tasty.

Still digging the tatties and getting good sized potatoes now. The crop isn't as good as other years although still reasonable which i put this down to the weather.

My caulis are just starting to form heads and so is the broccoli so i'm keeping a close eye on both. Hopefully i'll be cutting my own shortly. Pleased with the difference the netting made to the caterpillar problem. I only netted the brussels to protect from the birds so took the netting off but left it on the cabbages etc. The brussels had caterpillars but the netted brassicas didn't.

The green beens are gathering pace and in the space of a week are really huge, one picking is enough for a family of five and then some. I'm having to pick them every other day to ensure that they don't set seed. I'm always amazed at the difference in taste between shop bought runners and those you grow yourself. I've eaten some and frozen a lot, I don't think even Captain Bird's Eye could get them frozen as quick me! Not bad from three wigwams.

August 2006

2006-08-05T01:30:00.000+04:00

I managed to travel the length of the country and safely bring my nieces back from Bristol. It's amazing how different the culture is to Scotland. First day here and they're running wild in the garden enjoying picking crops wanting to harvest everything. Rhianna found to her delight that she liked gooseberries.

I've never seen two children so eager to get into the strawberry patch....and were out in their PJs picking strawbs and eating them early in the morning! Of course the best of the crop has just about been had and the rainy spell hasn't helped but they couldn't get over the size of the strawbs....even fighting over 'the biggest strawberry ever'. Which someone then sneaked off and eat! There followed a 'strawberry investigation' before a vital witness came forward in the shape of Uncle D who saw the culprit!

They seemed to enjoy digging the 'tatties' and picking fruit for tea. Lauren wasn't impressed when Uncle D pointed out that the straw she could see when picking out the tatties was 'cow pooh' and refused to believe him!

I had to laugh when Lauren announced that there were more strawberries on the raspberry canes. She picked and eat the few that were there...the gooseberry bushes are now stripped bare with the help of Uncle D!

The look on Lauren's face when she saw a 'round' carrot when i pulled it out of the ground! The runner beans were favoured because of the orange flowers and few good size bean were pulled and had for tea.

We picked turnip and they quickly caught on about the compost bins when we popped the turnip tops into this.

Rhianna delighted in picking the runner beans and although there was only enough for one person for a meal, she was fair chuffed with her cache and was interested in the pretty flowers and how they became runner beans.

Things we take for granted in Highland my two nieces are fascinated with...growing your own produce, open spaces and fresh air....oil rigs. After picking their own tea and taking many pictures to prove this. Whilst around the table there was much discussion on how the crops grew. Not a morsel remained on their plates and they couldn't wait for their dessert of strawberries!

Invergordon Area

2006-07-31T20:21:00.000+04:00

Invergordon is small former naval town. Situated on the shores of the Cromarty Firth.

Invergordon's fortunes have been varied and since the navy has left it's been boom or bust with various industries arriving and departing over the years, in the 1970's the BA Smelter and more recently the Nigg Fabrication Yard. A development in recent years is the passenger liners such as the QE2 and Queen Mary who visit the port and use it as the stepping stone to the Highlands, being in travelling distance of Loch Ness, Culloden and Inverness to the South, easy reach of Skye to the West and Castle Mey, Dornoch and John O Groats to the North.

Pots

2006-07-30T20:43:00.000+04:00

My pots have come along quite the thing....they're quite labour intensive though but worth the effort. I planted some Nasturtiums in a big pot and used the thinnings to dot around the veggie garden and made a hanging basket just to see how they fared....so far so good and they're now in flower and look very stunning. I like to try different things in the pots every year.

I overwintered my Fatsia Japonica outside this year and it survived despite very cool temperatures, i lost a few leaves but it's actually benefitted from this and made a good recovery, will need repotting next year but a very architectural plant for the patio.

This is the first year i've tried Nicotiana in pots and i'm quite pleased with the results, although needs plenty of water and feeding weekly. Slow to get going but worth the wait.

I planted Impatiens in several pots this year and they have took a while to get going as they like to be pot bound before they flower, but they're picking up speed now and another couple of weeks will be very pretty.

The Ornamental Garden

2006-07-30T20:16:00.000+04:00

With the house being in the centre of the plot this has allowed me to create different gardens to explore. I have names for all my gardens, the veggie garden and the ornamental garden, i've an area i call the compound (behind the swing seat) where i keep all my odds and sods oh and the front garden which i plan to add a bench to as this gets the evening sun. I'm mad on seats in the garden as it tempts you to explore. The compound is still work in progress and eventually will house another shed, my original shed being built under the house roof to save garden space! I've still got the greenhouse base to put in in the veggie garden and this should happen either in the Autumn or early spring! Another adventure then begins when i get my greenhouse in place!

The ornamental area is ongoing and although most of the hard landscaping has been done it's still very much work in progress. It's pretty boring at the mo with a patch of lawn and beds surrounding it. No shape as such, but hope that once i get the existing areas planted i can then start adding a bit of shape and mystery! We decided to build a BBQ - big mistake. I found that it's great when in use but for the rest of the time it's an eyesore so have started demolishing it and plan to put some raised beds here probably to grow herbs or alpines...this will probably happen next yeat at some point, at the mo i'm focusing on finishing the frameplanting and then will start enlarging the beds and making it interesting! If you notice a few ragged edges this is the reason why!

The bench was moved to it' s spot in the corner and i've started planting fragrant plants around it...haven't quite decided what will be in the corner behind the bench but think perhaps a Buddliea or some such. It's been amazing since moving the bench here as it's given a whole new perspective to the garden and changed the line of site....before i hardly went to this area but now i often sit here if the cat will allow me onto her bench! It also catches sun right up to the last ray which is nice when you've been at work all day.

The trellis which divides the ornamental garden from the veggie garden is starting to get clothed in roses and clematis and i find this very exciting. It's amazing just how quick these romp away to cover a trellis. It will also act as a windbreak which is essential as we face the sea and this is in line with the Easterly's. The plot faces South West so it's very hot....all the garden gets sun for some or most of the day which is helpful.

July 2006

2006-07-30T19:49:00.000+04:00

Well today i've picked yet more strawberries.....and still more to come but i think that will be them to an end. Despite the amount i picked i still lost quite a few lb to the rains we had over the past couple of days. Welcome though it was, it wasn't helpful to the strawbs. Some went mildewy and some went soft where they were sitting in the water which puddled on the leaves. Still had a good crop despite all that...just not sure what to do with em all. The heat has been good for fruit this year. I was concerned that i had planted the strawberries in an area where they didnt' get sun after 3 in the afternoon but this seems to have been a saviour this year. The plants that did get full sun all day i noticed that the fruits were cooking on the plants, whereas those that got a bit of shade from the house were excellent.

All the strawberries were of a good size too. I had one or two twins which was a novelty for me as i hadn't seen these before...two strawberries from the one flower back to back. It's back breaking work and i've now picked a total of 90lb of strawberries from 49 plants! Think when i eventually move the bed i won't plant as many next time but then again this year could have been an exceptional year!

I also picked my first turnip today, the first ones had bolted and this is the second lot i had sown, i've another row which was sown later and will keep me supplied. I can't believe looking at my pics just how much everything has come one again in a month. My cabbages are coming along a treat and i covered them with strawberry netting originally to stop the birds pecking at the young shoots but kept it on to keep the cabbage whites away...they are fluttering about trying to land on the cabbages but can't. Unfortunately i wasn't able to net my brussels this year so i'm fighting off the caterpillers and the eggs. Got the hang of spotting the yellow eggs but wonder what the black eggs are - friend or foe? I also wonder what the little green caterpillers are what do they become? Are these from the black eggs? I've squirted them with salt water as the caterpillers don't like this and will see if that helps in anyway. They're still quite small but can chomp their way through a leaf overnight! The beetroot is starting to form but keeping a close eye on this just in case it decides to bolt. My onions are going strong and the best i've had for years ......could enter them for a competition the way they are going. I put this down to the intensive preparation in the autumn with top dressing with compost.

The runners are in full flower and starting to form pods....i absolutely adore runners and have grown three teepees this year! My lettuces are coming along a treat too and i've been cutting them off at the base and cutting a cross in them and they are making more leaves so i get twice the amount in the same amount of space. I thought my OH had pulled one up by the roots and was a tad disgruntled but notice that there are little leaves forming again so he must have listened for a change! The second leaves are not as tight as the first and more loose and bigger but still tasty! The june drop was late this year for the apples and didn't happen until July so now that's finished i need to thin out my apples on the cordons, there seems to be plenty to go at anyway. This is the second year they would have fruited and i can't wait. At least they fruit in succession which is just as well when i have four trees!

June 2006

2006-07-29T03:21:00.000+04:00

The garden in 2006......still room for development!

As the veggie garden slops, we put in kerb edging and built steps using slabs...and a small patio on top with an arbour seat, a 40th birthday present. The bushes either side of the steps are Currants; black, red and white and Gooseberries, Pax and Invicta and another currant bush.

The view down the length of one of the legs of the veggie garden, in the far of the plot i've autumn rasps, blackberries, loganberries and tayberry. Need to redo the supports as this wasnt that successful. Still have some space up this end to sort out and was thinking asparagus but not sure if there is enough room.

Second leg of the veggie garden, where the strawberries grow, and this year tatties. I've a space for a greenhouse just at the end of the tatties before the berries.....base still to go in but can't wait for this to start.

Start of the onion plot, 3 teepees this year for runners as i'm particularly fond of them. My onions were a tad late in going in but seem to be making up the time. Also lettuces, beetroot and carrots in here.

View from the abour seat end towards fruit trees, I've four cordon dessert apples in. This is their second year and fruited very well last year. Have popped Nasturtiums seeds underneath for a bit of colour. Like the veggie plot to look decorative too. I've built temporary paths to my compost bins with bark and this works very well. Permanent paths are made of slabs.

January 2006

2006-07-29T03:15:00.000+04:00

This was the garden in January a tad different to the heatwave we're in now....brrrrrr!!!!

This is what i started with.....

2006-07-29T02:45:00.000+04:00

July 2002...as you see i started with the usual mess you would associate with a lottie...i managed to get some tatties in at least but the soil was hard work. The house is sited off centre of the plot to give the best amount of garden space. The front garden, to the left and rear the veggie garden and the right hand side is the ornamental garden. The compound is on the right of the house. The garden was planned before the house was built!