A journal of our growing adventures in a newbuild kitchen garden on the East Coast of Scotland.
Finally, the Easter holidays are here. It’s been a rough term at school and I’m relieved to have made it to April relatively unscathed. This final term is my favourite of all – the senior students are off on study leave so the school is quieter and there are lots of fun activities dotted throughout …
I know I’ve posted about this before, but I just wanted to share our windowsill in all its current glory! The seedlings are thriving and it’s giving me joy every morning when I wake up. So far we have onions, peas, spinach, broad beans, peppers and sweetpeas. I’m also about to add tomatoes and a …
Jennifer Saint’s new novel, This Immortal Heart, is due to be published in June 2026 and I’ve very much had the release date on my radar for a while. I’ve enjoyed all of her novels and knew that this one would be no exception; however, quite aptly given the fact that the novel focuses on …
Anyone else absolutely itching for spring? Here in Scotland, the mornings and evenings are stretching out just that little bit longer. There are a few milder days scattered through the week and, on weekend walks with the kids, we’ve started spotting tiny green shoots pushing through. It feels like the garden is waking up and, …
Natasha Solomons’ Cleopatra is a rich reimagining of one of history’s most mysterious figures. I really loved the glimpses into the life and time of Cleopatra and the royal court around her as well as the powerful Roman figure she encounters along the way. Refreshingly, Solomons portrays her not as a caricature of seduction and power, but …
If you’re already a fan of the Raven and Fisher series, you’re in for a treat with The Death of Shame. And if you’re not, this is a brilliant place to start. Once again we’re right back in 19th-century Edinburgh, full of dark alleyways, fog, hidden corners and a whole lot of secrets. This one feels …
Seed sowing has officially begun for me. If you’re looking for something resilient to sow in the depths of winter, broad beans are your go-to! Although we don’t eat a lot of broad beans, I do love to grow a few plants, and we mainly use the harvest for broad bean pesto or pan-fried with …
The Rye Light sock pattern by Tin Can Knits is an absolute joy to knit (and it’s free!). It’s taken me an age to finish them thanks to work, the garden and those pesky two T1Ds that I’m raising, but every time I’ve picked the socks back up, I’ve been able to pick up the pattern …
Kate Foster’s new novel ‘The Mourning Necklace’ was an excellent way to start my February reading. Set in 1724, we follow Maggie Dickson, a woman who has been hanged for the murder of her newborn baby. We are plunged into the action from the outset as Maggie awakens in her coffin within the opening pages …
Tracy Chevalier’s The Glassmaker is a beautifully crafted story about the power of art, the fluidity of time and the ache of an unfulfilled love. It had me hooked from the prologue, which was so beautifully written that I immediately gushed about it to everyone who would listen. Time doesn’t move as expected in this novel. …