Once upon a time I was a die-hard feminist. Now I’m an older, wiser, more realistic feminist. This blog will probably offend the die-hards, but a little controversy has never stopped me before so why start now!

If you’ve ever wondered whether a love of gardening is inherited, this newsletter dives into the family genetics that meant I never stood a chance. My grandmother and my mother are both blessed with the ‘we must have a very large garden’ gene and so for me, there was simply no escape….

I’m finally introducing my elite garden support team this week. When I say ‘elite’ I mean I have one genuinely qualified helper and a squad of well-intentioned but almost completely useless furballs whose skills consist of napping in the mulch and offering unsolicited advice. If you love gardening tips with a dose of backyard humour and behind-the-scenes gardening life, then this one is for you. Read on to find out who’s actually helping grow the flowers and who’s just there for the treats…

You might mistake me for a quiet, ordinary introvert at first glance….the classic “nothing to see here” type. But that’s the mistake made about every introvert! We’re actually pretty darn interesting. Get to know me and suddenly you’re in a whole new world where my chickens live in a palace, a Dr Seuss-style birdhouse brightens the skyline, and The Whitehouse (my greenhouse) has its own letterbox.

And now? I’ve cooked up my most hare-brained idea yet - a living chapel right on my lawn. Yes, a chapel… grown, not built.
If you love quirky garden design, creative backyard projects, introvert humour and a sprinkle of madness, this blog post is your next must-read.

Wouldn’t it be great if we could all have our own personal garden butler….someone we could put to work every day in the garden, keeping it ship shape? If only! Like me, you’ve probably got the job, the kids, and the life outside of gardening too. So don’t go comparing your garden to the ones you see online with perfect perennial beds and zero weeds. It’s probably just a great camera angle…. or they’ve got a garden butler!

Without a mailbox to receive their fan mail, the residents of The Whitehouse were suffering. So, I remedied that with a mosaic letterbox project I completed during Covid lockdown. It only took me five years to actually put it in place though! And what’s this woolly thinking about mulch?? Read on….

Sometimes the end goal requires some sacrifice. When it comes to gardening, blood sport is just a necessity if you want seasonal colour. Read on….

It’s true. Sometimes gardening makes you want to tear your hair out in despair. But don’t lose the plot just yet. There are ways to maintain your sanity in the face of a burgeoning weed population, or a soil type that tries to kill all your plants. Read on….

Your garden should be a reflection of you. Your personality, your style. Even if that includes a gnome…

Gardening is about far more than a perfectly weed-free garden. When you know your ‘why?’ the weeds become so much easier to look past….read on!

Hmmmmm…..I’m pretty sure the rain this weekend is my fault. I angered the Gods of Gardening….

This week I’m talking about spring tasks for southern hemisphere gardeners, autumn chores for northern hemisphereans, and what I dreamed about doing with Tom Cruise. Wait! What??!!

What a week! A red wind warning that caused me worry, but never really reached its full potential, thankfully. And a hedge trimming saga that has me moving like a 90-year-old. Read on….

We might agonise for hours over a planting decision, then make a choice and spend the next ten years wondering if we totally stuffed up. I have those moments too. Read on…

I’m a highly accomplished procrastinator. But last summer’s dahlia display being flattened by a downpour was the lesson I needed. These white dahlias? Already staked and they haven’t even popped up out of the ground yet this season. I learned the hard way!

Every spring I declare I’m selling up and moving out. The spring winds that are a feature of a North Canterbury Spring cause me no end of garden trouble! But over the years, I’ve developed structure in the garden to filter and slow the wind down. Think hedges. I’m the mad woman with far too many hedges, but there’s a method to my madness. If you want solutions for wind, read on….

Sometimes things pile up and the garden, or at least some parts of it, take a back seat. This season is the first in years where I haven’t started my tomato seeds off nice and early. So, I’m going to cheat….

Looking for tips on how to create a potted tulip display with ‘wow’ factor? Read on….

My very first blog post gives you a little insight into how I ended up here, and why I’m glad you’re here with me. Instagram is great but it has its limitations. This members’ only page allows me to achieve more of what I set out to achieve, and to share it with gardeners who really want to be here, not just those captured by the algorithm!