Posted by Matthew Lawrence
at 03:30 PM on April 12, 2007
Glorious sunshine, just like wot our Spanish readers will have been experiencing. I could almost see my seedlings growing as I watered them. I was very industrious this morning. I cleared out the entire garage and swept the floor and threw out a load of junk that we didn't really need anyway. All the useful things like pieces of net and rope I put in a corner for use in the garden later on when I get a moment to do some actual work in the garden. Once the ankle biters go back to school that is!! I got a load of old window frames from a neighbour who wanted to get rid of them and I will use them to make cloches out of as I have loads of young plants sprouting everywhere. Quite a challenge in the Shetland climate. It isn't that bad actually because it is milder and there is more moisture in the air and as long as it is not blowing too much you don't get a lot of salt in the air which doesn't help the veges. I have lots of potatoes in already and broad beans, peas, carrots, parsnips and radishes. Mange tout do quite well here also so I have bunged some of them for good measure. What surprised me last year was the fact that lettuces grew so well here. They are quite a hard vege and very tasty. Broccoli and calabrese is another vege that I love and they do quite well too. I would love a poly tunnel but they are expensive so there you go! Just have to stick with old window frames eh?
