Truly sorry to have abandoned my followers. Not quite sure why. Perhaps, overwhelmed by the misery around, I felt there wasn’t much to say, but now I’m back out in the garden, distributing loads of homemade peat-free compost and tidying: always reassuring and invigorating. The poor hens watch morosely from their run, still in avian lockdown. Surely it’s time to let them roam? Come on Defra, there have been no cases in Kent (touch wood) though Suffolk has had several recently. If you buy free range eggs, they will now be called barn eggs because the 16th week of lockdown has passed and all hens are still undercover.
Gardening and generally pottering has always been my saving, and necessary in the rundown to opening with Whitstable Gardens for the NGS. This year we open on Sunday May 22nd. In an effort to make life easier for our visitors who complained our route was too demanding, we have divided into two: Joy Lane and surroundings and Whitstable Townies (who will open on July 3rd). Each group has a dozen or so gardens, several new ones and even the old favourites have new features, so I hope life will be easier and we may even make more money for the charity.
With the help of gardener Paul Carey (wildsidegardening.whitstable@gmail.com) I’ve been making small changes, simplifying and hopefully improving the layout here. I won’t show you yet, because that’ll spoil the surprise for visitors, and we still have a way to go, but with blossom and spring flowers blooming and wildlife re- appearing, the garden is the best place to be.