A journal of our growing adventures in a newbuild kitchen garden on the East Coast of Scotland.
This year, our biggest project has been creating a small outdoor craft space—a cosy retreat right in our garden. After plenty of research, we decided on the 12×6 Pent Summerhouse from PowerSheds. To make sure it’s comfortable year-round, my husband and father-in-law spent some time insulating it. We used insulation from B&Q, lined it with …
A haunting and evocative exploration of sisterhood intertwined with the power and mystery of the sea. The Sirens weaves together differing perspectives and timelines, slowly unraveling the threads of each story with a captivating sense of inevitability. Some aspects of the plot surprised me and kept me engaged; however, I would say that the pacing …
Within my small garden we are always a bit tight for space. I’ve tried growing my potatoes in the ground but I find them to be equally productive in containers so it’s an easy way for me to ensure that I can grow more of the things that I love. A few things to bear …
Pat Barker’s latest novel, *The Voyage Home*, is a compelling continuation of her acclaimed “Women of Troy” series. This third novel is focused on the character of Cassandra, the Trojan prophetess cursed to never be believed, and her maid Ritsa as they are taken away from Troy by the victorious Greeks. The novel explores themes …
Partly fuelled by a desire to make better environmental choices (fewer plastic-wrapped bags of compost and making use of our, albeit limited, household food waste) and partly for economic reasons (we spend A LOT of money on compost each year as we top up our no dig beds), we decided to find a way to …
‘The Pull of the Stars’ by Emma Donoghue is set in 1918 as the end of the First World War is in sight. Although it does deal with many aspects of the war – the trauma of the front lines as well as the tragedies suffered on the home front – the novel is primarily focused …
As you probably already know, the presence of pollinators in our gardens – whether we grow our own fruit and vegetables or not – is crucial for the success of our plants and for the planet. There are lots of ways to draw pollinators into your space but the best, in my experience, is lavender. …
Controversially, I’m not a huge fan of the sun or scorching hot days (which we fortunately don’t get many of here in Scotland) but there are a few things that fuel my love of summer and one is most definitely freshly picked, sun-ripened and sun-warmed strawberries! Our first year of growing them, we tried pots. …
Spending time outside is one of our favourite things to do as a family. Although it can sometimes require a bit of motivation, everyone one of us is just HAPPIER and more RELAXED when we’re surrounded by nature, regardless of the weather. That’s not to say that tantrums and huffs don’t happen. Of course they …
As well as the longer, (slightly!) warmer days, one of the delights of early spring is wild garlic. We’re fortunate to live in an area that has woodlands within walking/driving distance so each year it is readily available to us. We’ve been picking some here and there throughout the month but today we noticed the …