Wild Garlic Earth Day North Fife

A few hours ago we visited Monimail Tower for a Transition Towns meeting
where discussion was of local produce and how to integrate production in a sustainable way following the ethics of permaculture. One of many grass roots projects now underway in many countries to reduce reliance on transport and energy consumption. The surrounding woodland provided this bunch of wild garlic to be used in salads and pesto sauces.

Pitmedden Forest North Fife

Pitmedden Forest straddles the border of North Fife, Perthshire and Kinross. Auchtermuchty in the south (Home of Jimmy Shand) and westwards into Perthshire. It provides a wonderful space to roam on foot, on horseback and on trail bikes. Those who gallop or wizz along might miss the variety of plants and wildlife. How this wee stand of daffodils got there is beyond me but sitting in the forest stillness you are likely to see Roe and Red Deer browsing very nearby. Throughout the year with different species emerging one can enjoy to apprehend and even gather forest fungi and fruits.


Wood Sorrel as a food. The distinctive shamrock-shaped, three-lobed leaves are edible, and though they may have a sour taste, they make a great trail-side nibble.As a medicine: The leaves are chewed for nausea, and to relieve mouth sores and sore throats, and a poultice of fresh leaves for cancers and old sores. Leaf teas are brewed for fevers, urinary infections and scurvy.

Note: Large doses may cause oxalate poisoning.
Food for Free by Richard Mabey was first published in 1972, since then it has been reprinted 11 times. An all-colour, revised version produced in 1989 has sold over 30,000 copies in the trade. A guide to over 300 types of food that can be gathered in the wild in Britain, Food for Free explores the history and folklore of the foods as well as explaining how we identify them and the best ways to cook and eat them. The new edition will bring the subject right up to date. Organized by season rather than food type Food for Free will take us through the year. Richard Mabey's fully-revised text will be accompanied by stunning photographs, new recipes and a wealth of practical information on collecting, cooking and preparing. Beautifully illustrated, beautifully written and produced in a new, larger format Food for Free is designed to inspire us to take more notice of what is around us, how we can make use of it and how we can conserve it for future generations. .Food for Free

Juneberry North Fife

We bought this Juneberry two years go and this year it has blossomed, if each flower sets then that will be fantastic, the start of a very nutritious fruit. This area of north fife was noted for soft fruits, black current, red current, raspberries, tay . berries, strawberries but now due to labour costs in the picking farmers have uprooted and prefer to exploit C.A.P. for it's subsidies thus divesting us of local choice and dumbing down available diet. there is a grass roots reaction to this of which we are part where gardeners and smallholders produce organically animals, vegetables and fruits for local benefit.
Amelanchier lamarckii - June Berry.
Delicate, star-shaped, white flowers in March to April and bronze leaves maturing to dark green and then orange and red in autumn. The white flowers of the turn to green fruits. These slowly turn pink then bright red in June & continue ripening to purple-black by mid summer. Noted for its beautiful autumn leaf colour, this upright-stemmed shrub which can be grown into a tree is an ideal specimen plant for a shrub or mixed border in full sun or part-shade. After leaf-fall, the upright branches continue to provide winter appeal. The bark is smooth in the shrub's youth, silvery grey with darker stripes. As it ages, the bark splits into craggy furrows with increasing character.

A closer look, the blossom is quite delicate but abundant.

Primroses North Fife

Primroses in Higham Woods at Ballinbreich North Fife. I have noticed this wee stand of primroses not too far from the roadside for a while. Clambering up to examine revealed the flowers more clearly but with the unexpected, bones and antlered skull of a Roe deer clearly illustrating the cyclical nature of life, providing nutrients and even confirmation that when it's good "everything comes up roses". I know, excuse me.


North Fife is now resplendent in blossom of many kinds. These are Sycamore flowers, to me they radiate a first flush of vibrant green, hardly seen yet quite luxurious in there own way.

Bird Cherry blossom, Smaller fruit than cultivated varieties and often decimated by local bird populations before one might gather.

North Fife April the 9th

North Fife April the 9th, Of my eight ducks this is the dominant drake. There is one other and the rest lay eggs. Below is one of his offspring, hatched in August last year and has now become productive. Could this be incest? Anyway they are good to have around.



Yes, to Sara in California these pics were taken on the Nikon D90, I am impressed.

Toads North Fife 2009

Yes it's that time of the year, the sap is rising, vegetation bursting and the local amphibians are making their way to my garden pond, tonight the roadway and drive was strewn with toads with a few smooth newts interspersed. Arriving home at nightfall requires removing them in car headlight to the side. This little chap has already grabbed his mate. Such is Springtime.

Type Face Portraits North Fife

I mistakenly deleted the pictures taken today for this blog and in a moment of acceptance moused stumble. This site came up which I am really happy happened. There are 43 more. I like very much, maybe you will too.

Errol from North Fife April 5th 2009

Errol from North Fife April 5th 2009. Looking across The River Tay to Eroll which has a 2nd world war airfield now only used for parachutists and car boot sales. A lovely spring day, the fields below where I stand were full of migratory geese browsing grass.

Nikon D90 North Fife

Today I unpacked my new camera. A Nikon D90, This the first shot taken in my studio at Steeple Arts Newburgh, North Fife. Point and shoot on wide angle 18mm, not bad but with slight barrel effect. I find the automatic elements of digital cameras a bit of a nightmare with the plethora choices to set up somewhat complicated compared to totally manual cameras of old. Anyway I've bitten the bullet and will have to learn how to use it fully. Time will tell, I still yearn to use my old 4x5 large format camera but film stock and chemicals are limited, harder to purchase and what exists is increasingly expensive. I must be a bit of a Luddite at heart. I enjoy to scan my old 4x5 negs and adjust in photoshop to print, the results are fantastic due to lens quality and simplicity of application.


This and the picture below are of my ducks, Indian Runner, Khaki Campbells, yes I know, again, taken hand held at 105mm maximum length of the zoom lens, on manual focus but maybe the viewfinder or my eyes need adjustment for a better image. I'll be happy to take any advice on how to improve outcomes.

Each duck is a character and this is the dominant Drake.

River Tay April 1st 2009

The river Tay North Fife April 1st 2009 overlooking Newburgh, quite a wintery light but with a much welcomed warmth. I visited a much loved spot high above the town, a gem that is visited by few.

Fly fishing on loch Mill Newburgh North Fife. Spring is now unfurling this April at last, Trees are just coming into bud and quite quickly winter colours will be replaced with lush new growth.

Ducks North Fife March

Eight of them giving 4 or 5 eggs per day, 2 drakes and an unknown (hatched in the summer). Here they are free ranging the garden lawn. Each have a place in the pecking order as can be seen in the dominate drake. Fantastic characters each in an ever evolving group dynamic which is fascinating to observe. The Lawn is free of wee invertebrates and the like, just needs cutting.