Last week's temperatures hovered around freezing, but the frost didn't stop Mackie from making good progress with the raised beds for our new, outside-the-back-door kitchen garden.
Mackie assembled the two rectangular Woodblocx beds in record time. Then, he and Ken debated the best plan for removing or disguising the large stump left after the huge willow tree was cut down last year. The decision, visible in the centre back of the photo, is a third (square) Woodblocx raised bed and small retaining wall! We can't praise Woodblocx enough — both the quality of the product and helpfulness of the staff. Best of all, they are only a few miles away at the Munro Sawmills in Dingwall.
A frosty start to the first project of 2012
27 January 2012
Despite the frosty tempertatures overnight, Ken and Mackie have begun the first project of the year: preparing the ground for a new raised-bed 'kitchen corner' in the last, untended area of the garden. The unsightly, above-ground LPG tank was moved underground several years ago, and the 150-year old willow tree that shaded the corner was cut down last year. Its replacement, the stripling red oak on the right, won't overshadow the ground in our lifetime!
Although the site faces east and north, it benefits from the shelter of the stone wall and warmth of the boiler room wall. The plan is to construct three raised beds for salad greens and other vegetables, freeing the raised beds by the greenhouse for my ever-increasing cut flower garden.
Planning ahead, a little later than usual
08 January 2012
Some people look ahead to summer and plan their holiday during the cold, dull days of January. We look ahead to summer and plan our work in the garden. We've several ideas of what we want to do with the ground where the large willow tree was taken out last year (after clearing the nettles, creeping buttercup and dockens).
And, two months later than usual, I've ordered my summer bedding plants. Now, where did I put that seed catalogue…?
First the gales and then the snow
09 December 2011
First we had storm-force winds and power cuts on Thursday evening. Friday brought the first snow of winter and the 'it's getting to look a lot like Christmas' feeling. The mild temperatures of November (the warmest in Scotland on record) are a distant memory!
Ed's 'talkies' come to the Old Orchard
07 December 2011
We hosted our first evening event in the garden house on Sunday when Ken introduced a presentation of his Uncle Ed's filmclips from 40 years of working as a cinematographer with Warner Brothers. Never mind the technical hitches, we all enjoyed a cosy chat around the wood stove with coffee and homebaking!
The talk was an 'extra event' in the annual Cromarty Film Festival.
Getting ready for winter
18 November 2011
Ken and Mackie have spent the past two weeks getting the garden ready for winter: raking leaves, trimming shrubs, cutting back herbaceous plants, uplifting the dahlias and chrysanthemums.
It's difficult to remember that last year at this time, it was snowing. This year, we've had unseasonably mild weather for November, and there are still midges to torment us in the garden!
Last week's temperatures hovered around freezing, but the frost didn't stop Mackie from making good progress with the raised beds for our new, outside-the-back-door kitchen garden.
Despite the frosty tempertatures overnight, Ken and Mackie have begun the first project of the year: preparing the ground for a new raised-bed 'kitchen corner' in the last, untended area of the garden. The unsightly, above-ground LPG tank was moved underground several years ago, and the 150-year old willow tree that shaded the corner was cut down last year. Its replacement, the stripling red oak on the right, won't overshadow the ground in our lifetime!
Some people look ahead to summer and plan their holiday during the cold, dull days of January. We look ahead to summer and plan our work in the garden. We've several ideas of what we want to do with the ground where the large willow tree was taken out last year (after clearing the nettles, creeping buttercup and dockens).
First we had storm-force winds and power cuts on Thursday evening. Friday brought the first snow of winter and the 'it's getting to look a lot like Christmas' feeling. The mild temperatures of November (the warmest in Scotland on record) are a distant memory!
We hosted our first evening event in the garden house on Sunday when Ken introduced a presentation of his Uncle Ed's filmclips from 40 years of working as a cinematographer with Warner Brothers. Never mind the technical hitches, we all enjoyed a cosy chat around the wood stove with coffee and homebaking!
Ken and Mackie have spent the past two weeks getting the garden ready for winter: raking leaves, trimming shrubs, cutting back herbaceous plants, uplifting the dahlias and chrysanthemums.