Men need sheds ... apparently.
Last year a potting shed was installed in the garden, taking up a mass of space and it wasn't even for me to pot up my seedlings. It was for Chris to potter about in (",)
But this shed has created problems with the original design of the garden. I had not planned on a large shed in the centre of it for a start.
Two problems arose: firstly the original planned depth of the flower border opposite the shed would make the garden appear very straight and narrow if dug at the same depth from the fence the whole length of the garden, and secondly, the garden path disappeared slightly under the shed making it very narrow and difficult to get to the bottom of the garden, past the shed, without walking on the lawn (a very muddy option in the winter).
The path I will need to find a solution for later, my first priority is the flower border.
To prevent the optical illusion of a very long and narrow garden I decided to make the flower border narrower in the middle section, opposite the shed. In the middle of this section we planned to place a garden bench so that it was in amongst the flowers (although the unmissable view of the shed is not my idea of a focal point). However, this is the shadiest part of the garden in the heat of the midday sun (which can be too hot to sit out in on the patio) so a perfect spot to sit in the summer. Clematis montana 'Elizabeth' will be planted either side so that the fence behind the bench can be smothered in blooms filling the senses with the vanilla scent.
However, since ordering the obelisks for roses and clematis to climb, I have realised that the flower beds are too narrow to comfortably house them so that the plants are free to grow up it as well as the lavender hedge in front. There is just not enough space between the fence, obelisk and brick lawn edging that I laid last summer. It would just look cramped. So the design requires a rethink.
The solution: the garden bench section can remain narrow to break up the long straight line but the flower beds either side will become deeper so it really does feel like you are sitting in the thick of it. Basically the flower borders either side need to be the depth that I originally intended. The brick lawn edging will have to be shifted out and more of the lawn (just a small bit) will have to be removed. The obelisks should create interest and height and the plants will fill the borders creating a 3 dimensional depth that distracts the eye from the long narrow garden, I hope.
Well that's the plan now, anyway. Move the lawn edging ... job for next week (",)
Friday, 24 May 2013
For every problem there is a solution ...
It is amazing how solutions present themselves. I'd never seen wire anchors that clamp to fence posts before but Chris, ever the engineer, was determined there must be something out there to provide support for climbing roses that did not require attachment to the fence panels. This was the main aim ... a solution that did not damage the new fence panels installed last year and enabled them to be maintained or replaced without disturbing the climbing plants.
So well done Chris. The wire anchors can be installed easily, attaching to the concrete posts leaving space between the wire and the fence panel for the plant to flourish.
Yay, the fence can be disguised, smothered with roses (",)
So well done Chris. The wire anchors can be installed easily, attaching to the concrete posts leaving space between the wire and the fence panel for the plant to flourish.
Yay, the fence can be disguised, smothered with roses (",)
Thursday, 23 May 2013
Mad Hatters Tea Party
I'm thinking, yet again, I should have planned ahead better. That I should've done this a week ago, perhaps even a year ago!!
I have decided, in honour of a big birthday, and everyone else's very merry Unbirthday, the most fitting way for me to celebrate would be to have a garden party. However, the last three years have been spent methodically removing every weed present, from bindweed, comfrey, borage, ivy, stinging nettles to Stinking Gladwyn, and stripping the garden down to its bare roots as it were. Reconstruction started last year.
I planted up two small shady borders with evergreen honeysuckle, cowslips, hostas, shuttlecock ferns and Alchemilla mollis. The Primulas were a complete disaster due to slugs and snails but everything else has returned this year looking bigger and greener. I have also added various plants to the patio border, dividing up the area with box balls, one area for a beautiful wisteria, another for a Magnolia and another section for Geranium 'Johnson's Blue' and Salvia nemorose 'Ostfriesland'. But the rest of the patio border has yet to be filled with Alliums and Agapanthus, with Lily of the Valley to cover any area of bare earth in any of the sections.
Then there is the long border. This runs the length of the garden from the patio border to the shady borders. Last year it was defined with brick edging. But it is totally empty apart from Rosa 'Rambling Rector', a garden bench, a rose arbour with Rosa 'Iceberg' and Rosa 'New Dawn' to climb it and the fences and an Acer.
The rest needs to be filled. And there lies my problem.
Time and money have dictated that I will be flying by the seat of my pants to get the garden planted up ready for the garden party in just over three weekends time. The obelisks that I've ordered have a 21-28 day delivery time ... I ordered them 28 days from the party! Eeeek. This means that even if I get the plants for that area I cannot plant them until I receive the obelisks and have them in situ. And I think I need to shift brick edging where the border narrows to accommodate the desired obelisks and plants.
There lies the next problem ... last week a number of plants I wanted were available to order with 2-3 days delivery. Now many of the plants I want are 2-3 week delivery or NOT AVAILABLE!! When is the party ... in 3, yes 3, weeks time. I'll be planting by moonlight at this rate.
After this experience I will have a better understanding of the pressure Chelsea Flower Show exhibitors have of getting their gardens ready. However, unlike Chelsea, it will not look like a mature garden that has been there since the dawn of time. It will be more like Groundforce in my efforts as the planting will have room to grow.
Well the bulk of plants have been ordered. More roses and clematis to order online on Monday if not sourced locally over the weekend. Fingers crossed they arrive on time. Now to source the remaining plants ...
I have decided, in honour of a big birthday, and everyone else's very merry Unbirthday, the most fitting way for me to celebrate would be to have a garden party. However, the last three years have been spent methodically removing every weed present, from bindweed, comfrey, borage, ivy, stinging nettles to Stinking Gladwyn, and stripping the garden down to its bare roots as it were. Reconstruction started last year.
I planted up two small shady borders with evergreen honeysuckle, cowslips, hostas, shuttlecock ferns and Alchemilla mollis. The Primulas were a complete disaster due to slugs and snails but everything else has returned this year looking bigger and greener. I have also added various plants to the patio border, dividing up the area with box balls, one area for a beautiful wisteria, another for a Magnolia and another section for Geranium 'Johnson's Blue' and Salvia nemorose 'Ostfriesland'. But the rest of the patio border has yet to be filled with Alliums and Agapanthus, with Lily of the Valley to cover any area of bare earth in any of the sections.
Then there is the long border. This runs the length of the garden from the patio border to the shady borders. Last year it was defined with brick edging. But it is totally empty apart from Rosa 'Rambling Rector', a garden bench, a rose arbour with Rosa 'Iceberg' and Rosa 'New Dawn' to climb it and the fences and an Acer.
The rest needs to be filled. And there lies my problem.
Time and money have dictated that I will be flying by the seat of my pants to get the garden planted up ready for the garden party in just over three weekends time. The obelisks that I've ordered have a 21-28 day delivery time ... I ordered them 28 days from the party! Eeeek. This means that even if I get the plants for that area I cannot plant them until I receive the obelisks and have them in situ. And I think I need to shift brick edging where the border narrows to accommodate the desired obelisks and plants.
There lies the next problem ... last week a number of plants I wanted were available to order with 2-3 days delivery. Now many of the plants I want are 2-3 week delivery or NOT AVAILABLE!! When is the party ... in 3, yes 3, weeks time. I'll be planting by moonlight at this rate.
After this experience I will have a better understanding of the pressure Chelsea Flower Show exhibitors have of getting their gardens ready. However, unlike Chelsea, it will not look like a mature garden that has been there since the dawn of time. It will be more like Groundforce in my efforts as the planting will have room to grow.
Well the bulk of plants have been ordered. More roses and clematis to order online on Monday if not sourced locally over the weekend. Fingers crossed they arrive on time. Now to source the remaining plants ...
Thursday, 16 May 2013
Blue sky thinking ...
The sky is blue and yet ... I'm stuck indoors thinking how I would like to enjoy the warmth of sun on me as I weed or potter in the fresh air. And I bet as soon as I have time free to garden the rain clouds will gather.
Although I persevere in the rain, as many jobs can still be carried out, I have to admit it is not pleasant. In fact, some jobs are made easier by the rain, such as up-rooting big root-balls of plants no longer wanted. But some would say that you up-root them after the rains have stopped not whilst they are falling!
At times working in the rain is miserable and I do think myself insane to be out in it. I like to think that it is prompted by dedication but most would consider it madness. And maybe they are right? Maybe it is a form of obsession, addiction. But then the cure for me is gardening.
How I wish I was down my allotment or in a garden right now. Please let the sun shine tomorrow and for the weekend so that I can appease my withdrawal symptoms and get my fix ...
Although I persevere in the rain, as many jobs can still be carried out, I have to admit it is not pleasant. In fact, some jobs are made easier by the rain, such as up-rooting big root-balls of plants no longer wanted. But some would say that you up-root them after the rains have stopped not whilst they are falling!
At times working in the rain is miserable and I do think myself insane to be out in it. I like to think that it is prompted by dedication but most would consider it madness. And maybe they are right? Maybe it is a form of obsession, addiction. But then the cure for me is gardening.
How I wish I was down my allotment or in a garden right now. Please let the sun shine tomorrow and for the weekend so that I can appease my withdrawal symptoms and get my fix ...
Whether the Weather
Whether the weather is fine
Or whether the weather is not.
Whether the weather is cold
Or whether the weather is hot.
We’ll weather the weather
Whatever the weather
Whether we like it or not.
Little Pots of Hope
Two and a half hours later, in the drizzle of a Sunday afternoon, and the greenhouse is chocker with little pots of hope (",)
Now bear in mind I only have a small greenhouse that leans up against a wall, barely any room to swing a dibber and once there are four tomato plants potted up in it, two either side of the door, it is being fully utilised for the summer!
But still, I now have pots and pots of slightly damp compost with a seed dibbed into each one, sprinkled with a little bit of Mother Nature's magic. In 10-14 days time I will know what percentage of success I will have had starting off nasturtiums, runner beans, peas, and climbing French beans for the canes awaiting in the legume veg bed; cabbage, purple sprouting broccolli, kale and brussels sprouts for the brassica veg bed ; pumpkins for the allotment raised beds for our annual 'who can grow the biggest?' competition; dwarf French beans for the planters on the patio; sunflowers of dwarf and Titan varieties for our annual 'who can grow the smallest/ tallest?' Sunflower competition; as well as ornamental alliums and Orlaya grandiflora (French cow parsley) for my garden flower borders.
And that is not all. In a planter on the patio Pak Choi and salad onion seeds were also sown, ready to pick just a few steps from the kitchen door. Potential stir fry ingredients that couldn't be fresher from field (or planter) to wok to table.
Each seed tucked in with everything it needs to trigger life. Although a little bit of sun wouldn't go amiss.
Mother Nature's magic never ceases to amaze me that within the tiniest seed there is the potential for life. A sunflower seed the size of 1cm long that can grow into a 10 foot tall sunflower with a seed head a foot wide in diameter containing hundreds of seeds with the potential of life. Even the tiniest seeds, such as the brassica seeds, have enough nutrition stored in them so that it can survive until it can feed itself.
And there is more. I still need to pot up my sweet pea seeds, which are still in need of overnight soaking. And I have yet to decide where and in what to sow the spearmint seeds which is a plant that requires careful containment. Time is ticking, decisions, decisions ...
Let the miracle begin ...
Now bear in mind I only have a small greenhouse that leans up against a wall, barely any room to swing a dibber and once there are four tomato plants potted up in it, two either side of the door, it is being fully utilised for the summer!
But still, I now have pots and pots of slightly damp compost with a seed dibbed into each one, sprinkled with a little bit of Mother Nature's magic. In 10-14 days time I will know what percentage of success I will have had starting off nasturtiums, runner beans, peas, and climbing French beans for the canes awaiting in the legume veg bed; cabbage, purple sprouting broccolli, kale and brussels sprouts for the brassica veg bed ; pumpkins for the allotment raised beds for our annual 'who can grow the biggest?' competition; dwarf French beans for the planters on the patio; sunflowers of dwarf and Titan varieties for our annual 'who can grow the smallest/ tallest?' Sunflower competition; as well as ornamental alliums and Orlaya grandiflora (French cow parsley) for my garden flower borders.
And that is not all. In a planter on the patio Pak Choi and salad onion seeds were also sown, ready to pick just a few steps from the kitchen door. Potential stir fry ingredients that couldn't be fresher from field (or planter) to wok to table.
Each seed tucked in with everything it needs to trigger life. Although a little bit of sun wouldn't go amiss.
Mother Nature's magic never ceases to amaze me that within the tiniest seed there is the potential for life. A sunflower seed the size of 1cm long that can grow into a 10 foot tall sunflower with a seed head a foot wide in diameter containing hundreds of seeds with the potential of life. Even the tiniest seeds, such as the brassica seeds, have enough nutrition stored in them so that it can survive until it can feed itself.
And there is more. I still need to pot up my sweet pea seeds, which are still in need of overnight soaking. And I have yet to decide where and in what to sow the spearmint seeds which is a plant that requires careful containment. Time is ticking, decisions, decisions ...
Let the miracle begin ...
Wednesday, 15 May 2013
One years seed = seven years weed
Well since setting up my blog, when the temperatures dipped in March and I had time on my hands, the temperatures have risen, slightly, and so have the number of customers I have and the number of weeds that have sprouted. Hence a lack of input into my blog as I'm now busier than ever attending to gardens, my allotment and my own back yard.
The allotment has received a makeover to about a quarter of my half plot. Eleven cankerous old currant bushes have been removed, weeds and grass have been evicted. The area has been dug over to remove any remaining unwanted roots and weeds before our raspberry canes were planted this past weekend. Although one and three quarters of a row look like we have planted twigs, we have one and a quarter row of transplanted raspberries donated by our plot neighbour that show more life and promise of produce. But I'm sure the twigs will spring into life soon (",) Here's looking forward to the summer and autumn fruit.
A bit late in the day, I know, to be planting raspberries but I'm getting there gradually. The chill in the air makes me feel that though I'm late, so is the weather! It appears to have regressed a month. And, as our planting guide states, it is better to plant the canes in good conditions than bad.
However, what never ceases to surprise me is how quickly weeds appear, irrespective of the weather conditions. How come they can grow so much faster than anything else? I turn my back for a few days and weeds just erupt ... they have sprouted, matured, flowered and seeded in the blink of an eye before they can be be-headed or uprooted. Their sense of urgency is mirrored by me trying to keep one step ahead of them. And I'm only just starting to feel like I'm winning the race on the allotment.
Dandelions seem to be the bane of my life this spring. Many of my customers gardens are riddled, as is my allotment invested, with the jolly yellow flowers and fluffy seed heads. And once they seed there is years ahead of weeding! One recommendation from painful experience is that all evidence of beheading has to be cleared away or it will be to no avail as I have found that the flower can still turn into hundreds of seeds if left in situ! Even when detached from the plant. These seeds merrily blow around and so their cycle continues. The ever constant battle!
But at least these sociable weeds that spread far and wide are non-discriminatory. Even the most manicured of gardens with teams of gardeners have been invaded. And other gardens have just incorporated them into their design. I bet their neighbours love them! Mottisfont Abbey in Hampshire has a meadow field full of tall, proud dandelions that my fellas love running through and sending the seeds bursting on their journey. Whilst Giardino Bardini had them in their steep sloped orchard amongst the long grass.
My mission should I choose to accept it, is not only to get the dandelions under control, but to eradicate them from my allotment. In particular the strawberry patch is bordered by dandelions that are now infiltrating the black plastic membrane and intertwining with the strawberry plants. Tough decisions of ripping out and starting again are called for. In fact I am leaning towards a new setup that I think would be easier to maintain. A raised bed to replace the black plastic membrane covered mound that you are unable to weed properly and cannot easily add organic compost to as a fertiliser because of the black plastic. Digging out the plastic for the wooden raised border provides the perfect attack to remove the pesky dandelions completely for a fresh start.
But I fear this could be an ongoing battle. May battle commence ...
The allotment has received a makeover to about a quarter of my half plot. Eleven cankerous old currant bushes have been removed, weeds and grass have been evicted. The area has been dug over to remove any remaining unwanted roots and weeds before our raspberry canes were planted this past weekend. Although one and three quarters of a row look like we have planted twigs, we have one and a quarter row of transplanted raspberries donated by our plot neighbour that show more life and promise of produce. But I'm sure the twigs will spring into life soon (",) Here's looking forward to the summer and autumn fruit.
A bit late in the day, I know, to be planting raspberries but I'm getting there gradually. The chill in the air makes me feel that though I'm late, so is the weather! It appears to have regressed a month. And, as our planting guide states, it is better to plant the canes in good conditions than bad.
 |
| Area dug over, weeds uprooted, ready for raspberry canes. |
 |
| Planting 'twigs' |
 |
| Three rows of raspberry canes planted ready for summer & autumn fruit. |
However, what never ceases to surprise me is how quickly weeds appear, irrespective of the weather conditions. How come they can grow so much faster than anything else? I turn my back for a few days and weeds just erupt ... they have sprouted, matured, flowered and seeded in the blink of an eye before they can be be-headed or uprooted. Their sense of urgency is mirrored by me trying to keep one step ahead of them. And I'm only just starting to feel like I'm winning the race on the allotment.
Dandelions seem to be the bane of my life this spring. Many of my customers gardens are riddled, as is my allotment invested, with the jolly yellow flowers and fluffy seed heads. And once they seed there is years ahead of weeding! One recommendation from painful experience is that all evidence of beheading has to be cleared away or it will be to no avail as I have found that the flower can still turn into hundreds of seeds if left in situ! Even when detached from the plant. These seeds merrily blow around and so their cycle continues. The ever constant battle!
But at least these sociable weeds that spread far and wide are non-discriminatory. Even the most manicured of gardens with teams of gardeners have been invaded. And other gardens have just incorporated them into their design. I bet their neighbours love them! Mottisfont Abbey in Hampshire has a meadow field full of tall, proud dandelions that my fellas love running through and sending the seeds bursting on their journey. Whilst Giardino Bardini had them in their steep sloped orchard amongst the long grass.
 |
| Giradino Bardini, Florence, Italy. April 2013 |
My mission should I choose to accept it, is not only to get the dandelions under control, but to eradicate them from my allotment. In particular the strawberry patch is bordered by dandelions that are now infiltrating the black plastic membrane and intertwining with the strawberry plants. Tough decisions of ripping out and starting again are called for. In fact I am leaning towards a new setup that I think would be easier to maintain. A raised bed to replace the black plastic membrane covered mound that you are unable to weed properly and cannot easily add organic compost to as a fertiliser because of the black plastic. Digging out the plastic for the wooden raised border provides the perfect attack to remove the pesky dandelions completely for a fresh start.
But I fear this could be an ongoing battle. May battle commence ...
Friday, 8 March 2013
A week of two halves ...
Monday - Beautiful sunshine, perfect for the luxury of a whole day at the allotment.
Tuesday - Beautiful blue skies, perfect for turning compost and mulching fruit for my customer.
Wednesday - Grey and miserable, cold again.
Thursday - Grey and soggy. Yuck.
Friday - More of the same.
Mind you, where are the March winds?
Where is the "In with a Lion, out like a Lamb"?
What I'm looking at today is a wet weekend, a very soggy cornflake.
Monday and Tuesday were just to tease us that Spring had sprung before snatching us back into Winter. Daffodils that opened in the warmth are now looking at the ground ashamed and forlorn.
And the forecast ... it will continue into the next week. Wet and grey.
Doesn't bode well for a nice summer this year. Or does it? Could anything be worse than the summer of 2012?
March 2012 was our Summer. A glorious month of gardening. Record sunshine and heatwave temperatures for that time of year. Threatened drought and hosepipe bans to be introduced 1st April. Upon which date the heavens opened, Mother Nature responded by turning on her sprinklers and forgetting to turn them off. Nature's irony, practical joke.
So, if March is wet this year does that mean come the 1st April 2013 we will be heading into a record breaking heatwave summer? Mind you that has it's problems. Watering for a start!
Hmmmm, ideally 4 hours of rain per night and sunshine throughout the day would be the perfect balance for the gardener. Mother Nature, are you listening?
Tuesday - Beautiful blue skies, perfect for turning compost and mulching fruit for my customer.
Wednesday - Grey and miserable, cold again.
Thursday - Grey and soggy. Yuck.
Friday - More of the same.
Mind you, where are the March winds?
Where is the "In with a Lion, out like a Lamb"?
What I'm looking at today is a wet weekend, a very soggy cornflake.
Monday and Tuesday were just to tease us that Spring had sprung before snatching us back into Winter. Daffodils that opened in the warmth are now looking at the ground ashamed and forlorn.
And the forecast ... it will continue into the next week. Wet and grey.
Doesn't bode well for a nice summer this year. Or does it? Could anything be worse than the summer of 2012?
March 2012 was our Summer. A glorious month of gardening. Record sunshine and heatwave temperatures for that time of year. Threatened drought and hosepipe bans to be introduced 1st April. Upon which date the heavens opened, Mother Nature responded by turning on her sprinklers and forgetting to turn them off. Nature's irony, practical joke.
So, if March is wet this year does that mean come the 1st April 2013 we will be heading into a record breaking heatwave summer? Mind you that has it's problems. Watering for a start!
Hmmmm, ideally 4 hours of rain per night and sunshine throughout the day would be the perfect balance for the gardener. Mother Nature, are you listening?
Allotmenteering ....
6 hours later and the orchard on the allotment have been pruned.
4 apple, 2 cherry and 1 pear tree. That equates to my little orchard. Round their roots crocuses are cupped to the sunshine.
I know, I know. I'm late pruning them. I've had from November to February. Funny how the days that I was free the weather was not conducive to pruning, whilst when I was busy the weather was perfect!
'Tis done now.
In addition I have dug and fed manure into bean trenches ready for planting out in May. The canes have been assembled in readiness. Now am I too early or a bit late in this job? Some dig their bean trenches in the Autumn! Others dig them just before they plant. What does that say about me? That maybe I'm undecided and plumped for the middle. But on a practical level, working around the weather and other commitments, I know I will be so busy gardening soon that I need to do as much as I can now to be organised or it won't get done!!
Still to do ... weeding (ever constant weeding), the removal of the very old and cankerous currant bushes and the planting of two rows of raspberry canes.
Oh and to plant seeds and veg (",)
Shoulders and arms aching, debris sticking out of my hair, hands cracked and scratched from the cold and manual labour. "Like sandpaper" I'm told by my eldest as we cross the roads on the way home from school.
It's good to be back on the allotment.
4 apple, 2 cherry and 1 pear tree. That equates to my little orchard. Round their roots crocuses are cupped to the sunshine.
I know, I know. I'm late pruning them. I've had from November to February. Funny how the days that I was free the weather was not conducive to pruning, whilst when I was busy the weather was perfect!
'Tis done now.
In addition I have dug and fed manure into bean trenches ready for planting out in May. The canes have been assembled in readiness. Now am I too early or a bit late in this job? Some dig their bean trenches in the Autumn! Others dig them just before they plant. What does that say about me? That maybe I'm undecided and plumped for the middle. But on a practical level, working around the weather and other commitments, I know I will be so busy gardening soon that I need to do as much as I can now to be organised or it won't get done!!
Still to do ... weeding (ever constant weeding), the removal of the very old and cankerous currant bushes and the planting of two rows of raspberry canes.
Oh and to plant seeds and veg (",)
Shoulders and arms aching, debris sticking out of my hair, hands cracked and scratched from the cold and manual labour. "Like sandpaper" I'm told by my eldest as we cross the roads on the way home from school.
It's good to be back on the allotment.
A seed is planted ...
I'm Rachel, aka the Bog Imp!
So why the bog imp? I frequently return home from my allotment, my gardening round or stand at my own back door after attending to my garden, covered in mud (almost from head to toe) with debris sticking out of my hair (that looks like a good imitation of a birds nest) and dirt beneath the nails that are not broken. So Chris nicknamed me Bog Imp and it stuck.
I'm not just an avid gardener. Gardening is my therapy, my sanity, my zen. Fresh air, birds singing, busy bugs and Mother Nature's wonder to attend to. What more could a soul need?
But I am a frustrated gardener. Currently I'm a part-time gardener who dreams of being a full-time gardener.
I have a wonderful variety of gardens with equally varying needs to attend to for my customers. I have my allotment, a sanctity where I can disappear to or a hive of activity when the whole tribe lend a hand. And I have my own garden which has to accept attention as and when I can give it. But unfortunately I am also a Librarian who has to work 3 days a week in an office looking out, wishing I was in a garden. Ditching the 9-5 would be my heaven, working all the hours I could spare in the fresh air would be bliss. It wouldn't be like working, even though it would be hard physical work. It would be living!
Slowly, sometimes frustratingly slowly, I am creeping towards my dream.
Three years ago I attended the RHS Level 2 Horticulture course at Merrist Wood. I am now working towards completing all of the exams, child illness has prevented attendance at two sets of February exams so, lesson learnt, I will mostly be taking the exams in June. Before completing this course I had two regular customers which has now grown to 8 regular customers and as well as two gardens of friends that I'm helping to redesign. This is squeezed into my two days of freedom a week or free weekends.
Next steps:
complete a course in garden design,
to continue to build up my customer base, and
to take the bold step and Quit the Library!
So, whilst I move towards my dream, at the times of greatest need due to poor weather, Winter or just being stuck in an office, I have decided that a blog can become my escape route. If only briefly whilst I type my imagination can transcend into paradise. If I can't be gardening then the second best thing is to be thinking, talking and writing about plants, gardens and allotments.
If you want to find out about my journey so far check me out on Facebook.
And here's to the future ....
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