When I selected the picture for the front of this month's Scottish Radiance I was filled with envy. Having lived at the lighthouse for almost four years I still dream of having a beautiful flower garden like the one in this picture taken in a Glasgow walled garden. As most of my regular readers know I have tried just about every thing to bring flowers to Eshaness.
I have had some luck with the annuals that every year I grow from seeds in the house. If they are planted in a protected area they seem to survive for a while. How proud I was when my pansies around the sundial continued to bloom for almost two weeks but then we got a storm from the south and they were black by the next morning.
Within the next year I am going to put in a 'planticrub' which is a small rock wall garden that Shetlanders have been using since early time to start their plants. This will allow me to have a few flowers at least. What I plan on doing is moving an abandoned one rock by rock to the lighthouse. No easy job but better than no flowers or seeing them destroyed.
But there is one flower that never fails me. Daffodils love the Shetland environment. They struggle through the ground each year and in late March through May huge beds of bright yellow can be seen glowing in the sun in even the remotest area. Eshaness lighthouse is no exception. The daffodils come up every year. If a storm is forecast, I go out, pick any with flower heads, and bring them inside. Once placed in a vase of water they open to add brightness and beautiful fragrance to the lighthouse.
In face of snow, gales, and air filled with salt spray the daffodils add beauty to Shetland. Each year they triumph over their enemies to bring me and most Shetlanders notice that Spring is here and the winters storms will soon be behind us. Needless to say they have become my favourite flower.
Sincerely,Sharma
I love to hear from you so contact me by Email at sharma@sharmakrauskopf.com
You can find more articles in the archive under Island Miniatures/Lighthouse Letters.
I have three books which are directly related to this column. The Last Lighthouse tells how we bought our lighthouse, the day by day journal of a year at Eshaness entitled A Year in the Lighthouse and in Scottish Lighthouses our lighthouse is featured in the 31 lighthouses presented. You can find out more about these books and other I have written at my official author web site.
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