A strange thing happened on Saturday at Corfe Castle. This ancient site became host to the Indian festival of Holi. It was wonderful. Amazing street food of all sorts, music, dancing, laughter, friendship........ and colour, quite literally by the handful. What better way to celebrate Spring, love and joy? Today, Sunday, is much more sedate. A slow wake up with endless cups of tea in bed, then off to enjoy the sunshine at Branksome Dean Chine. Another cup of tea brewed in the back of the camper, then we were off. Lots of shells along this stretch of beach, Always plenty of ..read more

Wow!........2024.........older and greyer, and time passing by faster and faster. Fifty gardens to look after now, and I'm entering my next year of working on the tools less. Two more years and I will have been in this business for fifty years! It is indeed a vocation, and not a job. Alas, the body is feeling it now, but I still love most of the work, and the challenges and rewards that it brings. I have enjoyed a morning with youngest daughter Rebecca today, making breakfast for us both, and once again trying out different art techniques and mediums. All very messy, funny, and colourful. A ..read more

It was during a recent trip around the wholesale nurseries that we wanted breakfast. It's no secret in the family that I'm a bit OCD when it comes to breakfast out. A full English with black pudding AND fried bread is a must to be included. No pine tables and chairs. Basically, the more 'old world' the establishment the better. Also, not tea, but Coca Cola.....WITH NO ICE! On our travels we popped into a retail nursery, which although never offer plants in the quantities we need, do very often have a cafe attached. This one was at Parley, just down from our destination Plants For Trade ..read more

 Where did 2024 go? It seems to have flown by. For us, Four Seasons has flourished, with lot's of new and exciting projects coming forward. We are actually being sought after across the board. Very exciting! Both me and Amanda should be comfortably retired now, sipping cocktails with umbrellas and chunks of pineapple and cherries in them by the poolside. But although that would be very nice, we love a challenge, and aren't ready to clean the uPVC windows and mow the lawn on a Sunday just yet. We've taken on about ten more projects, some good, some...hummm....ok, but all moving in the rig ..read more

We recently returned from taking the camper and Travel Ted around The Lizard and St.Mawes area. So, so many little coves, and general beauty. We love Cornwall, as it's always so peaceful. We stay in car parks mostly. Where possible in a beautiful spot, with a view. This was an impromptu stop at Pendennis Castle near Falmouth. Panoramic views of the estuary, coffee and croissants while watching a pod of dolphins just offshore. An excited young fisherman came running up to us and a couple 'overnighting' next to us. 'Sorry guys, have to tell you to come and see the dolphins'. It was another of ..read more

 Good morning Can anyone tell me why I am now being seen as 'anonymous' when I comment etc, and how I get 'me' back ..read more

  Life can throw all sorts of difficulties and trials at us. My life at the moment? A personal struggle, one challenge that MUST be overcome. The others are just the sort of crap that most are facing at the moment. Personal, financial, psychological, so many plates to spin. We've been trying to future proof our home, and the main part to be worked on is, of course the garden. THE main room of any house. The house without a garden is like one without a front door. It's going to be quite a fundamental place for our "survival' this year. Plants are so important, no, vital to our mental wel ..read more

 It was while we were looking out on our garden, and trying to come up with a 'game plan' for the coming year regarding additional planting, formative pruning and path re-routing, that our Edgeworthia, fairly prominant at this time of year, reminded me of a plan for the coming years that not only we, but all of us should perhaps bear in mind. Edgeworthia grandiflora, just coming into flower now, will, in two weeks amaze us with it's beautiful, clear yellow flowers, an attraction to the few types of bees and butterflies around at this harsh time of year. We must all plan any garden work ..read more

A lovely resident of one of our properties recently came out to show us an award. We have known both her and her husband for many years, lovely people. Her husband always there with a mug of tea for each of us on a cold day (I think a piccie was posted years ago of me sat exhausted on the lawn holding a mug). She came out to let us know that the garden had won a gold in the Poole in Bloom competition for best communal garden....Wow!! We have always looked on this particular garden as somewhere quite special, both in terms of how it looks, but mainly on it's influence on us personally. It's ..read more

Yesterday, Amanda announced to me that we were off to Coverack Cove for a few days, that we were leaving today, and that I must pack some things. It's no secret in my family that I love glass in all it's forms, and I love beach combing for it in small pieces, and mud larking for it in larger and more industrial bits. I also magnet fish and metal detect, and have found all manner of interesting artefacts.  I make things with what I find, and along with the glass I also find small pieces of pottery, and just recently came across a bronze port hole surround from a ship.  So ..read more