Day 10: Gifts from the sea If your garden has sandy or clay soil, or you prefer to use organic fertiliser, then the offer of an agricultural trailer full of kelp (about 10 tons) should make you smile like a Cheshire cat. If you are trying seaweed in it’s natural state for the first time, […]
seaweed
From Dawn to Dusk
With less than a month to go to the winter solstice, the days are very short and the list of wintering gardening chores grows ever longer. October and November have been predictably wet and windy, but we have had some glorious sunny days perfect for some of the heavier winter jobs in the vegetable garden. […]
When the wind blows
This summer we have had some particularly warm and calm days. On afternoons when it was too hot to garden, seeking just a zephyr of a breeze, I spent my time exploring the pools and rocky shore of the headland. I can devote hours to watching the movement of the seaweeds in the clear water […]
Marine harvest
When descends on the AtlanticThe giganticStorm-wind of the equinox,Landward in his wrath he scourgesThe toiling surges,Laden with seaweed from the rocks:Seaweed, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Exactly a year ago, I wrote about the kelp forests which lie offshore to the west of the Outer Hebrides and are part of the complex marine ecosystem of the shallow […]
Who’s been walking on my beach?
Year of Natural Scotland – Winter Treasure Hunt I have always loved the seaside in winter and on crisp sunny mornings I need no encouragement to abandon the domestic chores and take a walk on Ardivachar beach. Perfect for a solitary meander, watching the wading birds feeding along the tide edge and scanning the horizon […]