Creating an Orkney garden

Creating an Orkney garden Former B&B We closed Straigona B&B at the end of 2024, on to our next project - a large garden (around 1 acre + 2 acre field) in Rendall, Orkney.

This page will now document our progress....

Starting to construct the Autopot system. Ground levelled, sand layer added, platform made by Mike, w**d matting to make...
28/08/2026

Starting to construct the Autopot system. Ground levelled, sand layer added, platform made by Mike, w**d matting to make it look neat and Flexi-Tank put together. Not so much done diue to two little timewasters joining the household!

Poppies, Marguerites and Cornflowers in the rockery. All grown from seed. Next year should be even better!
24/08/2026

Poppies, Marguerites and Cornflowers in the rockery. All grown from seed. Next year should be even better!

Before w**ding and after w**ding of the other end of the bank. Waiting for more plants to be ready before I can fill mor...
22/08/2026

Before w**ding and after w**ding of the other end of the bank. Waiting for more plants to be ready before I can fill more of it in, only a few to put in just now. Still finding it very cathartic but it's an easy w**d as done before... **ding **ding

The fruit trees and bushes are growing well. Spent time tying in the trees to, hopefully, keep the right shapes. We have...
16/08/2026

The fruit trees and bushes are growing well. Spent time tying in the trees to, hopefully, keep the right shapes. We have had raspberries, strawberries and a very few blackcurrants and gooseberries already. A quick w**d and add some potash to the soil. Very pleased with my comfrey plants which are looking very healthy and should be a great addition with all their benefits to the trees.

One of our little froggies who still has a tail - we have quite a few like this. And, I only just noticed that I have lo...
16/08/2026

One of our little froggies who still has a tail - we have quite a few like this. And, I only just noticed that I have lovely yellow crocosmia as well as the stunning red one! I thought it was just going to be the run of the mill orange monbretia. 🐸

So, moving on from the rockery (for the moment..) and onto the next 'Forth Road Bridge' - the back bank. Mike painted th...
15/08/2026

So, moving on from the rockery (for the moment..) and onto the next 'Forth Road Bridge' - the back bank. Mike painted the big shed this week so it was back to the bank which, as you can see, was already overrun with w**ds already! Fortunately, as the soil is so good and it's been done before this is quite an easy job. Don't have stock to fill the spaces yet though so I can see me having to do yet another major w**ding session before anything is ready. **ding

Today's haul ... tomatoes, cucumber, raspberries, blackcurrants, gooseberries, strawberries. Just a very few currants an...
04/08/2026

Today's haul ... tomatoes, cucumber, raspberries, blackcurrants, gooseberries, strawberries. Just a very few currants and berries but they are just establishing so I'm hopeful for next season. 🌱 &berries

The rockery is still a work in progress. I'm about 3/4 of the way through the 4th w**ding and also planting in gaps. Man...
02/08/2026

The rockery is still a work in progress. I'm about 3/4 of the way through the 4th w**ding and also planting in gaps. Many of the plants I have grown from seed. Looking at what I started with it is quite a difference! **dswontwin 💪

There are days when you get a lot done but don't have much to show for it! Today we finished staking the trees, which ar...
31/07/2026

There are days when you get a lot done but don't have much to show for it! Today we finished staking the trees, which are showing lots of growth. Mike then strimmed round them. I finished clearing the end of the bank and we tied up a Rosa Rugosa that had 'flopped' everywhere! Unfortunately I spotted some Ground Elder which I'll have to deal with. Potted on a couple of Elderberry trees that I've grown from cuttings. Split the broken branches of the Rosa Rugosa into usable cuttings and stuck them in pots. Received some seeds so put some of them into pots and some into the fridge as they need cold stratification. It'll be back to w**ding and planting after work tomorrow - weather permitting!

So that's one side of the polycrub finished. Last platform dropped in for staging to stand on and all staging levelled....
29/07/2026

So that's one side of the polycrub finished. Last platform dropped in for staging to stand on and all staging levelled. Next will be the tomato and cucumber area which will use the Autopot watering system...

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Rendall
Kirkwall
KW172HB

Telephone

+447762098005

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