The last month I have been here in the UK working remotely and seeing family. It has been the most wonderful weather. Almost Icelandic summer weather and this has been somewhat torturous for someone absolutely itching to get gardening. With the temperature approximately 16-18 degrees C versus back home where it has been snowing almost the entire month of March.
My delusions of arriving back in Iceland and being able to get digging immediately have been shelved a little. But, but but but, this is not to say I have been doing nothing in the gardening arena. Oh no, I have been preparing as much as is humanly possible.
Before I left at the beginning of March, I took a risk and planted out half of each of my seed packets, of which there are very many varieties and types. This was a risk as the light wasn't entirely full enough which may risk very leggy seedlings which can be very weak and never recover. It was also risky as I was relying on Daníel watering them correctly. As it happens he did just fine.
I have not yet returned home - that is a journey for tomorrow - but I have seen the seedlings via the power of Skype and it seems that some have indeed suffered legginess but not all, and as I saved seeds I can sow a second lot when I return.
Since being in England I have been excited and inspired by spring and by the most english of english gardens both in Devon and in London (Notting Hill and Crouch End specifically). I now have a definite idea of my ideal garden in Iceland, one which merges a potager style with the old English Country manor yet obviously adpated for Icelandic climes.
My biggest non-vegetable challenge for adaptation I believe will be something to replace my two favourite floral tree type entities; Magnolia and Wisteria. I am fairly certain that neither of these would survive an Icelandic winter so I will have to spend some time researching what blossoms I can have. Specifically climbing blossoms. I crave ivy and long lived creeping pkants such as Wisteria which state history and grandeur.
This is all currently theoretical right now anyway as I rent where I live now, and true landscaping and lifelong plants are not until I know I will be settled somewhere more thoroughly. But now at least I know what I want to do, when that day comes.
For now, I am heavily concentrating on vegetables and meadowlike wild flowers. Meadow breeds as they will run riot all over my unplanned non functional areas of the garden and look pretty without need for maintenance.
Whilst here in ole blighty I purchased rather alot of temporary gardening materials which are a darn sight cheaper than in Iceland. Namely a full size plastic greenhouse made specifically to put up during the summer season and be stored during winter and I am itching to get back and erect this beast. Also to go with it is a smaller Tomato greenhouse which I plan to put inside the stolen glass greenhouse for extra tropical crops.
Additionally I purchased many many planters made of polythene. They are basically raised beds but made of the same fabric as ikea bags. They are durable and reuseable and for someone like me who is likely to move, it means I have the benefit of raised beds but I can take them with me.
So, when I return to Iceland I will begin transforming the area ready to set down the first crops as soon as possible. More reports will follow on if my leggy seedlings make it, if my plastic greenhouse was a false investment and if my indoor winter grown peppers are ripe for picking. There will be more here because during this last month I have decided I need less stress, and have to cut down some of my pastimes. As gardening dissolves my stress and feeds my family, it is currently a winner in what comes first.
For now, I will leave you with some glimpses of my mum and stepdad Mike's garden. Its my inspiration and where I learned much of what I know.
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