Congratulations to Monty Don on winning the PPA’s Columnist of the Year award. It’s reassuring to see that first class writing still wins out in a media world largely driven by scoops, stories, sleaze and sex. Over the years Monty’s Observer columns helped me see the beauty beyond the banal practicalities of what and how […]

Armed with my new iPhone, I thought I’d have a go at remote blogging. I’m at Martin Mere Wildfowl TReserve in Lancashire at a plant fair along with six other specialist nurseries. The weather is perfect,swallows are zipping overhead and the company is great. I’ll try and post a picture in a mo.

Three beautiful days have brought the Pulsatillas into full flower, helped the germination rate in the greenhouse no end and given me a bit of a watering headache. The frogspawn is now a writhing mass of tadpoles. And we’ve spotted the first swallows on the phone wires on the lane, about two weeks earlier than […]

A dry, frost-free week meant we are finally making real headway on the ‘to-do’ list. Although there is time left before we open, walking past endless outstanding jobs leaves me in an almost continuous state of low-level stress. So, a good week takes the pressure off a bit. Janet and Tracey have all but finished […]

Calling Gemma Burrows – are you out there somewhere? Do get in touch if you are. The new season beckons….