Gardenjunkie's Profile

I'm a London girl, a 60's baby, born and bred. I'm the eldest of 3 with 2 younger Brothers. We didn't have much when we were little but always had a holiday somewhere in the Great British countryside. That's how my love for nature and plants began. My Dad drove for hours, taking us to beautiful places with gardens that my Mum wanted to see. I learnt all about plants from my Mum, who claimed to know nothing! If we saw a garden centre, we would tell Dad to drive faster or end up with a car load of plants. It was mission impossible to get Mum around a garden centre and leave empty handed. Now I do the same. I grew up, married a man with the patience of a saint and we had our 2 children. Life and work were hectic and noisy and I began dreaming of living in a more rural, peaceful place. We lived in South West London for nearly 30 years. We had a small patch of dirt called a back garden that we transformed over the years to a secluded, lush and leafy shaded oasis with a woodland twist. It was sheltered by four huge oak trees that I loved. They played the most beautiful sounds in the wind and showed their souls in winter. I soon learnt that nature always wins, losing plants that didn't like what I did to them. So I gave in and embraced what I should have in the first place. I now believe that plants are like people. They shine if they have what they love. Well, the kids flew the nest and my dream came true. A year ago my Saint and I moved to a little bungalow in the countryside with no noise or street lights. I can see the stars at night and had never known until then that the moon could shine so brightly. It's like the fairy tale cottage in Hansel and Gretal, next to a woods. The garden surrounds the bungalow and had been so neglected it was desperate for love. The woods and the garden joined forces and were swallowing up the bungalow. It was an overgrown wilderness but for me, it was love at first sight. We found out the hard way that it hadn't been dug or seen any kindness for 40 years. The soil's so hungry and stony it chomps on our boots. The first time I tried digging my fork in I felt like crying. It was like trying to dig into concrete. This is where my new dream began.......