Why I garden2 Comments

Chatting about the blog

Reclaiming Paradise

I recently talked about the blog on a podcast – link here, recorded by musicians Besingende Gedálland for their Wordlende series. Wordlende is a ‘chance to talk, commune and conspire with individuals who involve environmental practices in their day to day life’. Other podcasts in the series tell you about music, foraging and the wonders of nature. You’ll find me talking mainly about vegetables, but also about growing up in Shetland, the joy of seedlings, sharing tomatoes and spiky cucumbers, the wonder of apples, making weed pesto, environmental issues and how a song by Joni Mitchell inspired the name for … Continue reading Chatting about the blog

Why I garden6 Comments

Waves of daffodils

Reclaiming Paradise

After another frosty start and a frozen pond, the sun has come out so today’s #SixOnSaturday celebrates the joy of late daffodils. My daffodils come in waves, with the first appearing in early March but today there is a fabulous range across the garden. This fabulous pure yellow one underneath the apple tree 2. An orange trumpeted beauty in the back garden 3. More pure yellow beauties along the back hedge 4. Fancy flowers beneath the roses in the front garden 5. Tiny lovelies in a pot 6. And finally a pure white flower among the lavender in the front … Continue reading Waves of daffodils

Cooking and eating from the garden7 Comments

Some Easter Baking

Reclaiming Paradise

I was pleased to be able to see my Mum on Easter Day. She has difficulty remembering about lockdown rules and was expecting a big family party ‘You will bring some baking won’t you?’ Sadly most of the family are unable to travel because of the current lockdown in Scotland so it was a very small gathering. However, challenge accepted. I made a pie (vegetarian – no bunnies were harmed). And some biscuits – also no bunnies harmed etc And an ‘Allotment Cake’ which I forgot to photograph (photo is from one I made a few years ago) Allotment Cake … Continue reading Some Easter Baking

Why I garden8 Comments

A frosty Six on Saturday

Reclaiming Paradise

A rather late and rather quick contribution to #SixonSaturday. Despite waking up horribly early this morning it has taken until late evening to write this. The tiny advantage of waking up at 5.30am was that I got to see the garden emerging from the dark, listen to the dawn chorus and with still a sprinkle of frost everywhere. So here’s my six: Frost covered snakeshead fritillary – beautiful flower at the best of times, enhanced by frost 2. A slightly frosty daffodil – they are looking their very best at the moment 3. Another daffodil – I’m afraid I don’t … Continue reading A frosty Six on Saturday

Growing vegetables, fruit and flowers, Why I gardenLeave a comment

Snakes in the grass

Reclaiming Paradise

This time last year I brought my ‘Great Piece of Turf‘ reusable coffee mug home from my office. I don’t suppose many people have weeds on their coffee mugs but there you go. I’m a great fan of Dürer and I bought this mug when I had the chance to visit the original painting in Vienna a few years ago. It hasn’t been used much this year as even when local coffee shops have been open they’ve been very reluctant to accept reusable cups. So today I took it for a little outing to the allotment, complete with coffee. It … Continue reading Snakes in the grass

Why I garden6 Comments

Spring flowers and a new bench

Reclaiming Paradise

The garden and the blog have suffered a bit lately from too much other work going on in my life. I’ve hardly stepped outside the door all week except for necessary permitted walks and I haven’t managed to write much or read all your lovely blogs either. However this weekend I achieved a thing, in fact a new garden bench: This was not made by me, as such but I did put it together from the flatpack which arrived in a great big box, bringing joy in abundance for Bella. I don’t often buy new stuff for the garden but … Continue reading Spring flowers and a new bench

Why I garden10 Comments

Tiny shoots

Reclaiming Paradise

Today for #SixOnSaturday, I’ve been out in the garden, down on my hands and knees, looking for tiny signs of growth. The February Gold mini-daffodils are fully out now 2. And I noticed, while photographing these, that there are some snakeshead fritillaries about to come into flower. I had forgotten that they were there so it was well worth getting down close to the daffodils to see them. There are still lots of snowdrops too, a few photobombing here 3. In the front garden, a single full sized daffodil has appeared. I have lots more to come and I will … Continue reading Tiny shoots

Recycling and reusing6 Comments

Holes in the hedge

Reclaiming Paradise

One of the disadvantages of lockdown is that I’ve spent too much time over the winter looking at the garden and getting depressed about the bits that really don’t look good (most of it actually at this time of year). While I blog and tweet about the lovely little spring flowers – here was yesterday’s #SixonSaturday, the lawn is a mud bath, the pond is overgrown, the raised beds are full of either deadish plants or are covered in cardboard or freezer baskets (to keep the cat off) and the hedge at the back of the garden is looking very … Continue reading Holes in the hedge

Why I garden6 Comments

Spring is in the air

Reclaiming Paradise

How can it be a week since we had four inches of snow in the garden? Today we had lunch outside and hung out a washing, which nearly dried before it got dark and I sowed some seeds (just a few tiny lettuce and spinach seeds in the seed house) and I walked to the allotment wearing ordinary shoes instead of boots and I didn’t have to wear a a woolly hat and we harvested the last of the Brussels sprouts. Spring is definitely coming Meanwhile I have plotted my revenge against the pigeons. There are signs of new growth … Continue reading Spring is in the air

Why I garden1 Comment

More snow pictures

Reclaiming Paradise

Because who doesn’t love these beautiful patterns made by pigeons in the garden? They are forgiven for demolishing my broccoli, for the moment anyway. The snow was still very beautiful yesterday for #SixonSaturday. Here we have teasels, witchhazel, rhubarb, winter box, two tiny snowdrops, and foxprints on the pond: The snowdrops have been particularly, beautiful, just peeking up above the snow, here in the sunlight under the oak tree: It’s all starting to thaw now but that means that spring really is round the corner. Also, this arrived in the post yesterday: Actually not live plants, but live seeds, all … Continue reading More snow pictures