If you live on an island a journey almost inevitably includes a ferry crossing. After a while it becomes a bit like catching a bus, but with the frisson of anticipation as to whether you will actually depart as scheduled or when you might get back home. However, I still enjoy this aspect of the … More Reading the Landscape
Island life is essentially about being in harmony with the rhythm of the seasons, but it is the weather that really determines what we do and when, so I have adopted the Darwinian philosophy that survival depends on the ability to adapt to the environment. Consequently I have become a creature of routine and habit; … More Over the sea to Skye
At this time of year, it is tempting to be deceived by the siren calls of an early spring, and although it has been mild, while the south and even north-east Scotland has been enjoying a February heat wave, it has been wet and windy here, day after day after day. I always enjoy this … More Spring Illusions
Unless you have rolling acres and very deep pockets, it is unlikely that you will have a garden that has everything you could desire. Most of us have to do the best we can with the mix of climatic and soil conditions that nature provides, and try to create the rest by innovation. In my … More In the Shade
