Spring Onion Salad Dressing for Pasta

Gusts of 80 mph winds last night and the early hours of the morn kept us on edge as we slipped between sleep and being awake.

We heard smashing glass and imagined that our greenhouse was gone. We heard the slamming and pounding of  rain on the window panes and feared dislodged slates from the roof.  We heard the wind howling in rage; and feared that the big tree behind our house may fall and cause our home some damage and there was nothing we could do.  It all sounded a lot worse than it actually was.  Yes there were smashed glass panes and it will be frustrating for D, as it is every year he has to patch it together, but thankful it was not worse. The tree behind our house is strong and home to many birds.  I hope it withstands the battering of climate change. as for the greenhouse, - I always wonder will we ever live in a place where the greenhouse withstands mother natures torment.  I say this as every year, no matter where we have lived our greenhouse has been damaged by the natural elements.

Disappearing Greenhouse

Gosh this could be a comedy sketch. 

I looked out of the bedroom window yesterday morning, to note scattered pots, then I looked far right, to note the garden gate had been pushed open by the strong winds and the compost bin my father had only just given me was rolling in the drive-away, but that was not the part that made my mouth drop - our new greenhouse was gone.   It wasn't an expensive one made from glass or plastic sheeting, but one of those cost effective walk in greenhouses.  We thought it would serve us well until of course we could afford a real one.  We even staked it into the ground and put some happy growing seedlings into it.  Still the strong winds got it and uplifted it to who knows where.   

I went out, still in my PJs to recover some of these things, only to discover that the compost bin that had been rolling about had escaped out of the garden gate.  I looked outside to see if I could rescue it, but it was nowhere to be seen.  I went to take a look closer at the seedling pots.   I was disappointed to see my little tomato seedlings, courgette plants, broad beans, sunflowers - mostly gone...My growing antics are certainly being delayed by mother nature. 

D shook his head in disbelief and asked a rhetorical question 'So how many times have we had our greenhouse damaged?'.  'Yes, more than five times'.  See here of one example.  

My mother has been teasing me all month, saying that I have brought the poor weather with me all the way from Scotland, I think there may be some truth in that now.  One thing we were thankful for though, was that the weather in Scotland was a bit better at the weekend, as we would be worrying our heads about our unsold flat there and the roof tiles.   

Oh and our phone line and Internet was down at the weekend too. Its fixed now.

Flying Greenhouse

Most weekends D and myself go over to the allotment to work, harvest or even just check on progress, which was the purpose of today's visit. When we got there, our hearts sank. In fact we were both gutted. The greenhouse that we had lovingly relocated in April (see below) from plot 11 had been thrown from its location.
upside down to the strawberry bed opposite. It was kinda peculiar really, almost like someone had lifted it and toppled it over deliberately, but it was the recent high winds.

We have had no luck with this greenhouse, it is flimsy for the weather conditions in Scotland. This greenhouse was originally in our garden at home, but on New Years eve in 2007 the high winds had got it, it was mangled and we lost a load of panes and clips. I went ahead and ordered a load more to repair it. D decided to dismantle it and take it over to plot 11 where he rebuilt it. Then in 2008, the wind got it again, so D decided to glue the flimsy panes with mastic sealant. And because it cost us so much to buy additional panes and clips, as well as labour to repair, we decided to relocate it from plot 11 which we had decided to give up to plot 45. This year, again...the wind has got our greenhouse, but instead of losing the panes, it seems like the high wind had caught it and toppled it over, damaging and buckling the frame.

I do not have a photo of what it looks like today, as my intention was just to check things over at the plot, not harvest or work. But it is pretty bad. Thankfully with the help of my nephew we moved it back into position, but we will not be repairing it until next year. In fact, we may even decide just to dispose of it all together, we have not had any luck with this greenhouse and it has been quite costly, financially and emotionally...we are really gutted.