After constant grazing by the Icelandic horses all winter, I try to let my little 5 acre croft, Clothie, rest and grow back, ready again for the next winter.
It’s been a slow start this Spring – quite cold with a constant brisk north wind but the flowers are finally beginning to appear.
This is my favourite walk and the place I like to walk the dogs. I wander around marvelling at the amazing flowers and the huge variety, while they climb over the old dry-stone walls trying to find out where the incessant chirping (the birds nest in the walls) is coming from. There are also bunny rabbits to chase.
I have been in contact with someone local from the RSPB about seed collection/conservation to help the native Shetland bumblebee. Clothie might be an ideal location for this. It will be interesting to hear any suggestions from them. I’m not really sure what is involved and will confess that I’ve lost the original email too (my email had a hiccup and I had to clear it out to get it to work again).
Meanwhile, the flowers are beautiful and good selection of what grows here in Shetland. I made a list in my original email and it looked fairly impressive and varied. Clothie is pretty much undisturbed this time of year. It also hasn’t been “improved” with lime for a long time either. The horses won’t go back until winter descends. This is a good winter field for them because it has lots of shelter.
So hopefully someone will get back in touch with me soon and we can move forward and I can show them Clothie.
Oh. what amazing flowers and what brilliant colours. Clothie looks so quiet and peaceful. A little bit of heaven…..
That is quite beautiful, you have a wonderful selection of native wildflowers.
Just think, before the bipeds came along thinking they knew best (which they do not) all fields would have looked a bit like this.
Beautiful!
That’s an amazing selection of flowers. I hope the various authorities recognise what an interesting piece of land this is!
Your flowers are sooooo beautifull – Nature’s gift.
What are is the name of the furry looking plant? I’ve not seen it in Western Oregon.
Cotton grass.
or ‘lucky oo’ in Shetland dialect (oo = wool)
exactly.
Lucky Minnie’s Oo
Who was Lucky Minnie? (goes off to look)
Absolutely gorgeous flowers & photography!
Quite a variety. Beautiful.
Wow, just gorgeous.