Snow!

The promised snow has finally arrived! We've been lucky of late because everytime it was forecast nothing actually came of it. The same goes with the wind too.
We have had rain though and it has literally saturated the ground, there is absolutely no way I can get outside and do any kind of gardening - such a shame as I would love to be out there in the cold, NOT!
As I said though, the snow has arrived. It won't stay long as it never does but we tend to get it worse in this village than just 1 mile up the road, I think it drifts and as we're one of the last properties before the sea we get alot of drift.
Having said that, it's hardly been an avalanche of snow. In fact we're talking maybe one inch is all.

 This is the start of it - not much huh!

Getting a little worse but it'll probably disappear overnight and then we just have the water run off to contend with. While we will never flood here - we're so far above sea level (at least those cliffs are a good 200ft drop) and a burn runs water straight to the sea - the garden could definitely benefit from a substantial drainage system as the amount of water we have is just sitting there freezing over.
We did a couple of drainage channels last year but TBH it looks like it was a complete waste of time!

I've spent a bt of time in the PT tidying it up ready for Spring and I've found a few issues with it that will need rectifying in spring. The main problem is one bolt holding the bottom trim in place has come away which means that piece is just flapping about, this in turn means the plastic to that area is also flapping and loosening. There's also a few rips to the plastic but I think once I repair those I should get another few years out of the plastic cover.

I have a system going with my daughters workplace, we collect all their broken pots and make use of them. They store them in giant dumpy bags and then we collect them and bring them home so I can sort them out. For the most part they are not salvageable so I break them up and use them as crocks for the bottom of pots

There have been a few pots worth saving though so I have quite a collection going now.
I know the big one has the bottom missing but I will sink this one into the ground and use it that way.

Here comes the snow again....

Oh dear, the snow arrived today. It's not much of a show but enough to stop me from wanting to get out there

It's not all gloom and snow though. I took a quick peek in the heated propagator in the greenhouse and all the Tomato seeds have peeped through. I am so glad I decided to dabble with a heated propagator

Normally I wouldn't even have been able to sow the seeds for another month or so and even then they would take weeks to germinate due to the lack in temperature - fingers crossed I am actually going to get some ripe fruit this year.
I think I'll make another sowing in a couple of weeks though just in case these ones turn out to be too early and don't make it.

I also got round to cleaning out that workshop/Greenhouse the other day.
It's never going to look as tidy and organised as I would like because it's just too small to serve the 2 purposes I need it for but at least it's useable again now and if I sort out some shelving on that back wall then I think I can clear it even more

Before & After

Before & After

Like I said it's not brilliant but it works.

The start!

My first post of my new Gardening blog - how exciting!
I guess I should spend this time to fill y'all in on my style of gardening and the conditions I attempt to garden in - without boring you guys too much.
So, my garden consists of almost 4 acres, waaaay too much space for one gardener no matter how enthusiastic. My husband does try to help me but he's a self employed builder who is finishing the building of our new home so doesn't get so much time.
At the moment my garden consists of 4 areas that in no way flow from one to the other but instead are dotted about in various areas, each being made as a need arose.
We have the back garden which is just getting renovated now,  a greenhouse area with outdoor veg beds, a polytunnel with new outdoor beg beds and a huge pond area. 2013 will hopefully be the year that sees drastic structural and aesthetic improvements to those areas and, fingers crossed, a flow through at least 3 of the areas.  
Gardening here in the Scottish Highlands has been very demanding and has forced me into a completely different way of gardening. Alot of my favourite plants that would have flourished in my English garden simply will not even entertain some of the harsh conditions we have here. We live in the very far north with all it's windy, unpredictable weather and are a few acres from the North Sea Coast. With no near neighbours as such we are extremely exposed!
Despite the pretty naff conditions I still like to grow plants that are borderline hardy for this area and have had decent success, as in all areas of the country some plants do better than others  and I think I will be having to make some harsh decisions in the coming year with regards to some of my favourite plants that while they are clinging to life are hardly flourishing!
The veg garden and polytunnel will be filled with both the old faithful, easy to grow veggies and some new ones that I've never dared to grow before - it will certainly be interesting.
My gardening style revolves around recycling everything and anything, I am too tight fisted to buy what can be made. I build my own planters, composters (barrel style as well as traditional - tutorials to follow :) and pretty much anything else I decide I want or need.

So I shall leave you with a quick glimpse of my garden.

How apt for this time of year! 

These Lilies flourished in my Polytunnel this year and looked fab with the sweetpea. (this is my image but is watermarked for my craft blog).

Waterlily that suprisingly flourishes on the pond alongside 4 others.