Purple Wellies

Well here we are again, I’m sure it won’t have escaped your notice – its Chelsea week. The one time of the year when ‘us’ green fingered lot can finally get our own back on all ‘you’ sporting types with full saturation on both TV and press of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, the epitome of the gardening calendar.

As I write I look outside to see a collection of snowdrops gently nodding their heads in the breeze. These will soon be joined by the Winter Aconites, Scilla, the first daffodils and flowers from Cornus mas and Abeliophyllum distichum, signifying for many that winter is merging into spring in the ever revolving door of the seasons. But look a little deeper at those patches of barren wilderness that loom back at us through the window, as there could be more goings on than perhaps meets the eye.

Today the first flowers started to open on one of my dearest plants – Edgeworthia chrysantha. I’ve had one for seven years now growing against one of the rear house walls, my husband having brought it for me shortly before our son was born for a Valentine’s Day present.

So Christmas is nearly upon us again, and I am sure many have retreated to gardening from their armchairs, browsing the seed catalogues. If you are like me, I’m sure you can expect a sprinkling of gardening presents among all of the usual candidates of socks and chocolates, but just how useful is the garden paraphernalia you get given?

As a child I used to continually dream about being in the jungle, searching the undergrowth for something elusive. I've done a fair bit of travelling in my time to some pretty exotic places, but I’m not the type to go camping or backpacking.