Seedlings

This is a tray of cucumbers that have just germinated, with a very pleasing 97% germination rate!

















Some slightly bigger cucumbers!


















The glasshouse is full of seedlings now, ready to be planted out before too long...

Amazing weather on Saturday

It was like a summer's day, only a bit cooler. It was cracking all day, but the evening light was something else, reminiscent of May or June.

Bright, breezy, spring is here

March is a month of real growth, and there's no doubt that spring is here now. The semi-naturalised daffodils are all out, three cornered leek has been flowering for two months, nettles are growing fast and the hedges have got that lush green colour that only appears at this time of year.

Today is a fresh NW wind, but now the showers have cleared it looks glorious. Out of the wind it's really warm...

Winter light and long nights

Winter can bring a clarity of light never experienced in summer with some stunning colours. Here are some photos from the last couple of months taken from St Martin's.


Sunset over Tresco













A sunny Sunday looking out over Persoil to White Island











A silhouette of the Western Rocks in dazzling winter sunlight

What a Christmas card!

This came from one of our youngest customers, Daisy Davies on St Martin's, and is undoubtedly the best Christmas card of the year!

Moths

I'd forgotten to post this before, but back in May I asked a visiting moth expert to set up a moth trap in one of my fields one night. It's a simple contraption really - a wooden box with a powerful light bulb that attracts moths by night. They come to the box and slide down in to the bottom. In the morning you check under empty egg boxes, where the insects are hiding from the daylight.

My knowledge of moths is quite limited, but I was astounded about just how many moths - individuals and species, were about in my fields! We didn't get a final species count, but it must have been over 25. I can't even remember their names now but the photos give an idea of the wonderful looking insects that appeared.

Photos from September

Here is a patch of grass and clover. It may not look very exciting, but this green manure is critical to the success of following vegetable crops. When this is cultivated it leaves behind a mass of roots and leaves that provide fertility for the next crop.

During its 18 months that it's growing here it's also improving the structure of the soil and will raise the levels of organic matter.



This time of year the fields are full of seed eating birds like linnets and goldfinches. All the weeds that have gone to seed (there are plenty we miss!) provide invaluable food to these birds.













Sweetcorn has been very late, but is now ripening nicely and tasting fantastic

















Crimson clover is a beautiful green manure that bees adore. This patch was actually meant to be white clover! Never mind, it looks great.
















The blackberries have been fantastic this year












One of the wonderful sounds of autumn has to be Starlings chattering from high perches. I wonder what they're talking about?! They really are very sociable, intelligent and pretty birds - if they were rare people would be fascinated by them.









Florence fennel is an under-rated vegetable that is delicious in stir fries or roasted. They also look fantastic when they're growing.