By early April, my cousin David (a member of the Shetland Horticultural Society) was using his newly constructed greenhouse to sow various vegetables and bedding plants, planning to use it for peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers and some lettuces afterwards.  Some plants, such as sweetcorn, courgettes (what we call zucchini) and beans would have to be grown inside as they do not do well outside there, even with windbreaks in place.  “I have acquired five lots of seed potatoes (an early, a second early and three maincrops) which are in place in seed trays to begin chitting any day now (hopefully). I was also gifted with 3 bags of Shetland Pony manure which is a first for me. I will probably use some of it for the potatoes and courgettes when they are planted out.”

David then sent me photos of him and his wife Fiona gathering seaweed on the local beach.  They were then going to lay it on their garden soil and then “rotavate” or dig it into the soil.  When I mentioned to him that we sell many cases of Maxicrop liquid seaweed each year, he reminded me that Norway, where Maxicrop is harvested, is only 225 miles due east of their islands!  He has even used it himself in the past. 

What a small world it is…