Where does the time go!

After my positive start to the year, swearing up and down that I would write every week I did exactly what I knew I would do and didnt!

In fairness to myself I had good reasons, things happen in your personal life that are challenging and this means our focus has to narrow to what is essential and manageable but I always feel guilty when I dont live up to my own expectations.

Lets focus on the positives for the time being though… Spoiler alert the biggest reveal is coming in the next post but right now I’ve got exciting seed and plant news!

So January, and February, has seen me flying round the country, a bit more than was anticipated! I think the only places I haven’t been is Cornwall and Scotland! Its been a lot…. but its been interesting!

For those of you who have been following me for a while you will remember the story of my Birth Family finding me, I’m adopted, my Birth Grandmother Elsie found me in 2020 much to my delighted surprise. I gained an aunt as well which is lovely. These things never run smoothly though and for whatever reason, which I totally respect, my birth mother decided she didn’t want to be involved. No judgement on her, we don’t know her story.

Sadly we lost the opportunity to meet last august, which was devastating if I’m honest. I’d held a hope that with time she might change her mind. Sadly this was not to be as she succumbed to Cancer, ironically just as I started to raise money for Marie Curie again.

The bright side to this is I spoke to her friend, got a picture of her and spoke to another relative who sent me more pictures… anyway thats not the story im telling!

In December I got word Elsie wasn’t well, she was in her 90s so not a surprise but still sad to hear she was already in palliative care. She finally went to the big sleep on the 15th of January and as sad as I am I think it would have been a relief to her. Losing people is such a selfish grief in many ways because you mourn for your loss of them and of missed opportunities, but when someone has had a good long life sometimes, when their quality of life is curbed, its better for them. I hope that makes sense?

I’ll admit this combined with a few other things put me into a proper tailspin.

However! I am blessed with amazing friends, two of whom took me up a large hill and got me drunk!… not at the same time

I’ve had a few weeks of traveling round seeing amazing gardens, giving talks, teaching apple pruning, selling snowdrops etc. plus celebrating my 50th birthday (Thank you to the people of Shaftsbury for such a lovely day)

Now I’m settling back down to the grind of the gardening year, I started one batch of onions off before xmas, along with broad beans and chard, but now I’m sowing seeds like mad. Yes some will say not to sow now but I have a reason to push along and the facilities to do so. I’m also trying to get the beds prepared and finish the cutting back before the end of March. Well…. mid April….

You see this date is important for me, this is when I leave my current position, and I’m determined to leave it in a better state than I found it.

Its been a hell of a year, its been intense! I’ve gained some amazing friends in my team of volunteers who have been such an wonderful emotional support and an absolute source of inspiration through some difficult times. Its also been incredible fun, we’ve had such a giggle and achieved so much.

What does the future hold though I hear you ask!

Well…. I can be sure of one thing!

This Dahlia!

Blue Diamond Garden Centres are running a campaign to help support the National Trust, as you know I used to work at Sissinghurst and I have a great love of NT properties so I’m all for the gardens getting extra funding!

In the last year and a half they’ve donated, thanks to sales of their NT branded products, more than £300,000!!

They’re supporting projects at Woolsthorpe Manor, home to Sir Isaac Newton and the famous apple tree that inspired his theory of Gravity. Ancient woodland at Croft Castle is being replanted and regenerated and the fantastic roses of Mottisfont are being given a restored wall to clamber safely over for the next 100years.

Its all manner of products that help support this work, from seeds, to bulbs and tubers, to plants and I’ve been very fortunate to be given some really gorgeous seed choices to add to the Dahlia to try out as cut flowers this year and I’m really looking forward to working out where these will live!