I’m living the life that many gardeners dream of. My Dad tells me I look happier than I have done for years and I am. I spend all day handling, propagating, identifying, weeding, presenting, studying, selling and talking about plants. I’m learning more each day than I have for years – and it’s great.

But it’s just as well I enjoy it. On days when the nursery is open, I’m usually out in the nursery, or indoors clearing up from the day before by 8am. The tea room needs setting up, bins emptied, mugs, milk and snacks set out, surfaces and floors cleaned to make it look nice. I check and clean the loo (someone has to!) and set up the till and sales counter area. I get together with any other staff who are in and we agree plans for the day. This is all pre-10am.

10am to 5pm is customer time. It’s usually quietish until 12 and I get a bit of potting on or weeding done, then properly busy from 1.30 to 4.30. Lunch is a 15 minute affair, usually interrupted by the phone or visitors, and a snatched opportunity to chat about ideas and future plans. Usually, customers and staff have left by 5pm, so it’s time to set the watering system going, lock the gates and balance the till for the day. With large areas still needing hand watering and much of the watering system dependent on moving hose connections around, I usually finish between 6.30 and 7pm.

Evenings are for dealing with emails, plant enquiries, group bookings, payroll, writing marketing material and bill paying. Plus blogging of course!

And on my 2 days off? Working in the garden or nursery to help catch up with the backlog and running around on errands – trips to wholesalers for supplies, banking, picking up parts and materials for repairs and occasionally getting my hair cut. College is taking a back seat at present and I need to find some time to prepare for Tatton. I do have other staff in – they are working on the garden, tackling the backlog in the nursery and covering for me on the sales desk when needed.

Fortunately for all of us, Dave tends to take care of food (I cook what’s in) so we don’t starve. Of course, things will be different in the winter when the nursery is closed – we’ll still have propagation and buying to do, but no customers.

Anyway, I thought you might enjoy the insight. I am doing exactly what I wanted to do. I just hope I retain the fitness and energy to keep it up!

May 7, 2007