Robert Irvine with a crop of strawberries in the orchard house of the Hydroponicum,the purpose- built hydroponics building at Achiltibuie,Wester Ross,north-west Scotland. Built by Irvine in 1983,it also has a temperate house & a hot house. Using entirely hydroponic techniques,Irvine grows strawberries,cucumbers,sweetcorn,courgettes,peppers,beans,broccoli,herbs,vines,& even banana trees - all at latitude 58 degrees north,half way between London & the Arctic Circle. The growing houses are enclosed with triple-glazed polycarbonate,which lets in light & warmth while giving the insulation of a 9-inch thick wall |