Farmers Markets - The Buildup To Christmas

Most Saturdays, Hamish loads up the Trailer with a luchous assortment of plants and drives to various farmers markets around the Highlands. There is one in Dingwall on the second Saturday of each month, one on the Inverness high street (7th Nov; 5th Dec; 19th December ) and Elgin on the third Saturday of each month.
The plants are seasonally selected, with a selection of the best the nursery has to offer on display, as well as some old favourites among the shrubs and perrenials and any wee gems that Hamish chooses to sneek in.

This last market, the showoffs were the stunning orange flowers of the crocosmias, the wonderful feathery white flowers of the Saxifrage fortunii and amazing Desfontania spinosa (Chilean Holly)














We also did well on our great value six packs of polyanthus and winter pansies.


Now that we are leading up to Christmas we put in some plants that make ideal gifts and if we are feeling particulary festive attach some big red bows.
Tomorrow we are at the Inverness farmers market - Here's hoping for a good day with no rain and sufficient warmth that i will still be able to feel my toes after 8 hours standing on cold concrete. Do I aim too high?

Autumn arrives at Loch Ness

Standing at the entrance to the garden and looking up into the lush foliage and native woodland, the changing colours of autumn simply make you smile.

There is the the Barbie pink of the Nerine set off by a backdrop of smoldering orange Acer leaves.

The Tulip Tree (Liriodendron) shows off its lemon yellow leaves, contrasting beautifully with the brilliant red berries of the rowan. And above the flashes of harvest yellow Rudbeckia, the shimmering mountain of white Eucryphia covered in dancing Red Admiral butterflies. It is just lovely.

We have had a run of mild sunny days, but with November starting to peek over the horizon it will not be long before the first frosts creep in.

At this time of the year Dad (better known as Don) has been propagating perennials, placing the most tender into the polytunnels for a little added protection.

With the help of our fabulous staff Jo, Shelia and Rebecca, He has also been doing the long and rather tedious annual stocktake, cleaning out some of the summer borders and doing what he calls 'General maintance and reflection'.

It seems to be a wonderfully abundant Autumn, the trees are all hanging heavy with berries, Rowan, Crabapple, the Cotoneaster, Pyrocantha, Hawthorn, Rosehips, Holly, Sloes and Elder have all got great clusters of fruit, still on the bough due to the late arrival of all the migratory birds who have normally stripped the trees bare by this time of the year. Although Daddy said he saw the blackbirds feasting today, so maybe by the end of the week there will be lots of fat birds and light branches.

Hamish has been attending farmers markets all year from Dingwall to Dundee. Next Saturday (the 24th Oct) we will be at a Highland Produce Market in Inverness Falcon Square as part of the Homecoming Scotland celebrations. We will be selling herbs to tie in with the theme of food and drink, and I have been painting terracotta pots with wee herb pictures that I will sell for people to plant their herbs in and keep them in the kitchens.