My Garden

I know it's November, and some of you Christmas purists will think this is too early, but quite frankly I don't care.  It's getting chilly outside, I've had enough of bulb planting and I'm very much in need of a good old-fashioned mid-winter festival.  So here we go, my top 10 garden gifts for kids this Christmas*

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The rainfall here has reached Biblical levels recently.  There are only so many times you can say 'well, it's good for the garden' before you run the risk of death by cliche.  However, after getting myself ready to send out a white dove in search of dry ground, the rain ceased yesterday and there was even a cameo appearance by the sun

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An old press contact of mine wrote to a number of ex-PRs this morning on Facebook pondering why so many of us chose to become garden designers.  My answer was that gardening is particularly good therapy to cope with years of abuse from journalists

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I'm not very good at top 10 lists. I didn't even manage my list of five celebrities that, you know, you're allowed to, well... didn't you see that episode of Friends? Anyway, I only ever get as far as George Clooney and John Cusack before I run out of inspiration. I think, as Nick Hornby ably demonstrated in High Fidelity, lists are really a boy thing. Still, if I did manage a list of top 10 gardens for kids, last week I would have found a new entry - Hampton Court Gardens. Read More...

I have an issue with an aster.  It's in my garden and it really shouldn't be.  I mean I know it's my fault.  I brought the thing.  In fact I bought two, on impulse, at the local B&Q a couple of years ago. 

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Hedges frustrate me.  The trouble is I'm not a patient soul.  I want everything NOW or better still a week last Thursday.  Hedges, unfortunately, don't fit with this sort of timescale.  Unless you are prepared to take out a second mortgage for some pre-grown sections, you are left with only two options

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The main difference in moving from two to three kids is you lose the ability - if you'll forgive the football analogy - of man-to-man marking.  However this weekend makes that sound easy.  I have my niece and nephew staying and MM isn't even here to help.  It will be as though Stevenage Borough were playing Manchester United with 10 men and a host of injuries

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I used to be really good at birthday presents for my other half.  I would give it months of thought, scour shops, even commission special items to be made.  For example, there was the original Super 8 Russian movie camera and projector, George Best Wedding Present mug (well, he loved it...) and even the custom built oak chest for storing his vinyl collection.  Impressive huh

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So what do Sportacus, ladybirds, Dora the Explorer and dinosaurs have in common?  Well, in this house at least, they are all considered fitting subjects for commercial wellie decoration.

I'm not sure when exactly it was considered strangely eccentric to just have plain old rubber boots but there was definitely a tipping point.  I can't even pretend I'm immune as I now garden in a fetching pair of pink spotted wellies

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I've had many an occasion to be thankful my neighbour's a plumber.  He connected up the washing machine the day we moved in, saved the pre-school from flooding with the timely intervention of some scary looking rods and even rehung the shower door after it fell on me (I did make sure I was both conscious and dressed first). 

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