Neolithic Shetland

Shetland, many thousands of years ago, was covered in trees until neolithic man arrived. He cut them all down and used them to build houses or bows and arrows or fires to cook food but whatever he used them for, he used them all and that is why Shetland now is covered in peat.

Because of this, I believe that some trees should be grown back. It cuts back the wind, therefore protecting the stock of sheep and allows some crop to be grown which allows the generation of natural earth. This sends the land, in quality, back thousands of years, which has to be good.

So I do my little bit in my back garden. I grow a couple of very young willows which, in a couple of years I will be able to take a couple of cuts off of which I will start and that will mean there are four. I also have a black hawthorn which I am looking forward to doing the same with.

It's a great pity that more people don't make the effort to return Shetland back to what it originally was but some do and one day, in more than just a few years, it may just happen.

Remember those trees

Remember those trees that I was talking about yesterday?

Well, they didn't turn up on the last bus yesterday. Probably had a bit of a night on the town before they turn themselves in tonight. Olaf, of Plantiecrub has dug the the Austrian Pines up and is dropping them off at the bus station today so that Jenny, the best bus driver in Shetland, can ensure that she gets them here tonight at the back of six. I'll have an early dinner myself so that I'm ready for them.

There is, of course, possibly a bit of a problem ahead. It's pouring down with snow at the moment, with the sun just peeking in now and again, so I'm a bit unsure just what to do with my mini-forest. I'll check up on that before I know how to get it wrong. They'll all tell you that it's guaranteed, I never get it right.

Ach, I shouldn't get so paranoid, if it's still snowing when they get here then I can always put them in a pot with some peat and let them settle until the Autumn comes in.

Then I'll have no excuse not to plant them in the snow.

Neolithic man cut down all the trees

If there are any tree-freaks out there, I'm hoping that there will be ten Austrian Pines on the bus tonight - and before you get it wrong, no, they are not visiting and that's not why I've got the dinner on :))

I have a big thing about the fact that here in Shetland, neolithic man cut down all the trees to build houses (That's where D.I.T.T got it from ;) ) and to burn for heating and cooking, unfortunately using them all up. That's not all bad, if they hadn't then where would we have got the peat from but it has meant that Shetland has not had a reasonable amount of trees for a long, long time.

Because of this, I like to get a tree or two on the go. It's always obvious to me that, because of where I live, a few trees around help to break up the wind that comes in from the sea or the ocean.

So, with any luck, they will have been put on the bus for me and will arrive at the back of six.

Then I'll spend ages getting them planted and eventually I'll be living in the middle of a forest.