In March 2002 these words appeared in this excellent newsletter:

 

‘Call me sad, but I am an obsessive gardener and have always wanted a gardening column.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m no Alan Titchmarsh or Pippa Greenwood but the chance to share my successes (few) and failures (many) with other gardeners and for them to share their experiences with the rest of us seems to be a worthwhile and harmless exercise in this increasingly complicated world’.

 

It never occurred to me that I would still be writing my Kate’s Cuttings column 20 years later!

 

Those of you who know me well will be aware that I have had some interesting jobs and taken on some tough challenges over the years, so writing these words 10 times every year has been a calming and grounding task that I have enjoyed very much.  It has had some unexpected other joys too: being a panellist at a meeting of the brilliant Tollerton Gardening Club for a Gardeners’ Question Time chaired by Kevin Pyke was definitely a highlight and real fun!

 

Talking of Kevin: In April 2010 we opened our garden for the first time through the National Gardens Scheme and continued to do so until 2013. Kevin was one of the many visitors; he spent 3 hours in the garden that day taking his beautifully observed photos seen from a completely different perspective than most of us ordinary folk. A few weeks later he presented me with a very beautiful book of these images that Peter and I cherish to this day.  An idea was born way back then – why not combine Kevin’s photos with Kate’s words and raise some money for our village school?

 

The result was a book entitled ‘‘Kate’s Cuttings: Notes and advice from a country garden’. 

Rather extravagantly and immodestly I was so thrilled with the result that I ordered way too many! So, there is a box of them remaining at the top of my wardrobe that need good homes.  I am now selling them for £5 a book and ALL proceeds will go to the school.  If you would like one, please send us the dosh with your address and I will pop one through your door.  A longer description can be found at www.katescuttings.net  Thank you.

 

As I write in mid-February the bulbs are coming through in huge numbers.  The snowdrops are really good this year and the little yellow aconites are starting to peek through the grass. Some early daffodils are out and the bulbous irises with their gorgeous richly purple flowers are shining against the bare soil.  These little gems are really worth growing, they come up reliably year after year, the rabbits and squirrels don’t eat them (not so far!) and they are like little jewels.  I planted some new ones in pots that are just coming up: one called ‘Katherines Gold’ that sounds really pretty.  They will get planted in the garden in a sunny spot after they have done flowering to give us a show for many years to come. The hellebores in the woodland garden got rather knocked about in the windy winter weather but are recovering well and are coming good now.  They have seeded around here so we have a range of colours: white, pinky purple and deep plum coloured flowers.  I cut off the old tatty leaves early this year and gave them a gentle mulch of leaf mould, which they love.

 

Many thanks for your kind support over the last 20 years. Having a gardening column in a village of keen gardeners and wildlife lovers has been real fun. I can’t promise another 20 years, but you never know!