May be this is a great time to start a blog

Stronsay Markets and its sister Stronsay Photographic have been busy. I have been away for a week and return to find everything is needing to be done. Spring has been late in the far north so nothing except potatoes and over wintering onions and garlic are in the ground. SM have contracts to maintain lawns at a dozen or so properties and each have only had one cut so far this year. My wedding photo shoot in February for a local girl has resulted in a big order of photographs to get ready. Yesterday I travelled back from Fort William by bus which was 7 hours on my bottom followed by more hours on the ferry. I arrived a bit jaded but cracked onto some grass cutting at home.

Grass cutting got going properly a couple of years ago and has gradually increased. By the time I returned from holiday I had 3 distress calls wanting grass cut. One message said she had lost the dog in the grass and thoughtfully sent me a photograph.

Today, Saturday 20 May 2023, feeling less knackered so jobs included

• Pulling out the carrots I sowed in the polytunnel a month ago. They were slow to germinate and the weeds totally choked them . I considered a long tedious and probably fruitless weeding session for a minute and then went radical. The bed is now clear of weeds for re-sowing - job for tomorrow *Nantes 5

• Potted on some weedy looking tomatoes. I sowed them in Jan thinking I would be well ahead but they have pined and grown very little. I blame poor compost and cold conditions *Money Maker / Sweet Aperitif

• Planting out the onions and shallots which I started in modules a month ago. They are well rooted so hope they should grow well in the prepared allium bed. *Centurion onion sets / Matador shallot sets / Fish blood & bone
  

• sowed parsnips in one of the poly tunnels. They are very slow to germinate so this year I have experimenting this year by "chitting" the seed in a sealed plastic container. After two weeks, tiny shoots (radicule) are visible and ready for their adventure in the big wide world.

• Just had time to cut the neighbours grass. At the end of last year I bought a bigger mulching mower which makes the job much easier. Unfortunately some customers still want the clips collecting which adds a fair bit to the job. Next week I will try to catch up with all gardens getting another cut. Thankfully rain stopped play so fast forward to wine o' clock

So far this year there has been very little in sales. Few heads of broccoli (Calabrese) and cauliflowers. People are asking .... I really need to get salads planted out so can get those ready for sale. Another job for tomorrow!

Sunday 21 May 2023. Full sun and little wind. Shorts and T shirt until 7pm. My arthritic knee is telling me to do less but with weather like this there is a conflict. I'm looking into some sort of powered assistance - so far it's a bicycle but the grass is very long.

• Ran out of fertiliser when planting my tatties few weeks ago so "topped dressed" with Vitax organic potato fertiliser. Some commentators say applied after planting is a waste of time - my comment is better late than never and in any case the shoots are not even appearing above ground yet. Last year had late Blight which badly affected the main crop (*King Edwards) so I ordered Sarpo Mira which is heralded to be the most Bight resistant. It was only when I opened the bag that I saw the label which said Axona - goodness knows what I've actually got.

• I worked on the pea bed for half an hour until exhausted. There are loads of deep rooted weeds including Dock (Docken), dandelion and daisy when need digging out. My current technique is to use a Chillington hoe which is a bit like a fork at right angles which you wack into and drag through the soil, pulling out the weeds. My paid help (Jennifer) is an expert weeder and will hopefully get the bed ready to receive the peas

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I want to sow an area approx 50 square metres with green manure. This is where I had my potato patch last year. The ground is naturally fertile but over-run by docks. I have already been through it with the Chillington hoe and Jennifer has removed 90% of the weeds. I spent time with my tiller / hoe preparing the ground for sowing. Next job to get sowing since the ground is now warm enough

• Preparing for my turbo driven mobility scooter, I mowed a path to the furthest beds by taking the blades lower and lower. So far its bicycle power but it might help.

• The weather remained good so to finish myself off I went off to do a 2 hour contract grass cutting stint. The last cut had been nearly 4 weeks so it was hard going. I will need to return to finish off with the strimmer. My knee is now seriously unimpressed and will need beer to counteract the abuse. Tomorrow is another day, good forecast. Contract job of raised beds for a customer needs completing so that will be the morning accounted for

Monday 22 May 2023

Workers with me this morning. Robin and I at the raised bed project to do landscaping. Jennifer doing the final weeding of the pea bed - this was created by combining 4 thin beds with pathways too narrow to keep weed free

Jennifer weeds her heart out

Still there is a huge back log of grass cutting so did another contract cut - the grass had grown a lot so took twice as long - 2 large bags of clippings

Another dry day forecast tomorrow so no peace for the wicked

Thursday 25 May 2023

Another Orcadian day - cool windy, variable sunshine but no rain.

Contract grass cutting almost caught up, doing four gardens today. Legacy of my one week holiday and warmer weather are still showing themselves.

Daughter Eilidh, although recovering from Covid has started to help me. Today in charge of planting out Climbing French Beans.

Lots of plants to go out even thought the weather is far from settled. At least it's dry....

Exciting news on my knee - appointment in 6 weeks to see orthopaedics - hope he / she can promise a new frisky set of knees so `i can continue to destroy the rest of my body

Sunday 28 May 2023

Almost the end of the month and yet it hardly feels like spring is established. Farmers are still ploughing and drilling. I think this is because the soil has been to wet until now so I don't feels so guilty about the delay in getting plants out. Lots of plants have been hanging on in the polytunnel, running out of nutrients and increasingly looking pinched and unhealthy.

Eilidh is planting out several lettuces of various types with her high viz gloves - useful in fog. These will grow on until leaves can be stripped for mixed salad bags.

In the roots bed, Eilidh is using the little (onion) hoe to make v shaped gooves for sowing carrots (*Nantes 2).

More peas and broad beans have been planted out. Everything is still covered with mesh to give it a fighting chance of survival. Weather remains fair so plenty more to be done tomorrow. I want to sow another batch of salad and peas to keep the succession. Beetroot is keen to get planted out in mini-groups.

Thinking about learning and working days at Stronsay Markets. So much to see and take back. Anyone interested, let me know.

Monday 29 May 2023

The rest of the country is enjoying full sun and warm conditions but not here. Unless I get the garden planted out there will be nothing before autumn is here. Eilidh still working for me and today...

Planted out beetroot (*Bolthardy) from modules started off in the polytunnel

Sown Carrots (*Nantes 2 organic) ouside in my roots bed and in the polytunnel - replacing the weed choked previous sowing

Planted out peas (*Kelvedon Wonder) started in modules into my legume bed. Earlier sowings were destroyed by a mouse finding a free cafe.

Lettuce (*Chiara, Lollo bionda etc) planted out from modules in my protected salad bed

Sown direct into the ground, neeps / swedes ((*Marion) and baby leaf spinach. All covered in mesh, hoping to keep off pests eg cats, mice, random birds and reduce chill and phsical damage from the wind.

In Stronsay wind is a constant challenge and without some protection vegetables struggle. I've had leeks rocked to puree and cabbages torn from the ground. I have high Fuschia hedges round the majority of the plot and I have created rooms bordered by green wind mesh. Even with all that effort the wind can destroy the hardiest of plants.

Grass cutting has continued at a pace. The cool weather has not stopped the growth. The most recent challenge has been to strim a big garden where no work has taken place for over 15 years. Two hours have made an impression and another two will complete phase one. My commission is to stop at that point waiting for a new owner to take the property. Knugdale is on the edge of the village with open aspects, walking distance to shop. There has been water damage upstairs before the roof was repaired and to be comfortable it needs fully insulating. A reasonably competent DIY person could manage much of the work, bringing in trades as required. The garden could be great but so far I have not seen any evidence of formal arrangements.