I have a wonderful new addition to my garden – a raised bed to grow herbs.

Laureen, who is a “WWOOFer” (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms) from Northern France (visiting Shetland for a month and working at Transition Turriefield) offered to build me my raised bed and so she did, last weekend!  I love it.

It has been beautifully planted out with a selection  of herbs and I can sit, gin and tonic in one hand, on the seated-edge arrangement, gently weeding without killing my back.  Before my back and I parted company, I was a keen vegetable gardener and I love cooking with fresh herbs.

Meanwhile, I am still pottering about taking photographs of our Shetland garden.

(and playing with Instagram – sorry to those who prefer me not to).

This is what our garden mostly looks like, with the sea in the background.

The reason we no longer have a vegetable garden is that a few years’ back, my OH diligently planted out the usual seeds to see absolutely nothing appear except one deformed tattie (potato) and with that he gave up.  I don’t blame him.  It was very depressing, expensive and huge waste of effort.  So now we just have flowers and now my new-to-me raised bed with herbs in it.  I shall particularly enjoy the gin and tonic, which I feel is mandatory to this gardening thing.

And a horse, if you are still interested.  Taktur today.  He was beyond brilliant and everyone was thrilled with him.

For a five year old stallion, he can only get even better.