New Year’s resolution number 1 - Blog at least once a week
So, OK, this isn’t going well, but in fairness no-one really lives up
to their resolutions. All I’ve really done is get my failure in nice
and early which basically puts me ahead of the game.
Still, I have decided to use this blog to list a few other
gardening-based resolutions. I’m hoping that by declaring them in
public, I might feel a certain added pressure to achieve at last some of
them. So here we go.
Resolution 2 - Erect our donated greenhouse
This is actually going quite well in that I have invited my father to
come and stay for a weekend. This may seem a fairly odd way to
construct a garden building until I point out that my father is a little
like Tommy Walsh
on speed and, on previous ‘weekend stays’ has built me a fitted
wardrobe, laid a patio, put up countless shelves and taken down at least
30 trees.
So I’m already confident that the greenhouse will go up – even if my sole contribution is doling out some hospitality
3 Make a market stall
My idea, which may sound a little demented, is to have a barrow-style
mini market stall from which the kids can sell garden produce in the
village (think Pete Beale – the Eastenders character rather than the rose grower.)
My main stumbling block for this is finding old pram wheels as my
father has said he’ll build me one if I can locate them (I fear there is
a pattern emerging here and it’s doing nothing to enhance my ‘hands on’
reputation).
4 Help out at the school gardening club
I’m now into my third year running the pre-school club,
but I would like to help out at my older children’s school as well.
This is partly because I’ve never done anything for the school and
partly because I’m excited to work with kids when my main concern is not
whether they’ve stuck seeds up their noses.
My only fear is that my tendency to try and ‘take over’ could see my
out on my ear within the term after an unsuccessful left-wing coup
attempt.
5 Keep chickens
This may prove tricky. The one spot I had in mind for a chicken coop
has now been assigned the greenhouse. Plus, my husband hates chickens
(“vicious little b******s” is one of his milder descriptions). In fact,
I’m not entirely sure I’m a huge fan, but I remember collecting fresh
eggs as a child which is something I’d love the children to experience
(I also remember my older brothers lassoing the poor unsuspecting birds
and dangling them from their legs, which I’m less keen to echo).
So there are five resolutions - one I’ve already failed on, one I’m
not sure I want to achieve and two of which I’ve already assigned to my
Dad. Hmmm. 60% is still an acceptable pass rate right?