Monday 16 May

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If you voted for the new seed envelope designs, thank you. It was, how shall I say it, inconclusive. And so I took an executive decision to sort of merge them and they are now officially launched.

We are in that wonderful window of being able to plant the very end of the annuals (I sowed Hopi sunflowers today) whilst also starting to think about biennials. At times, I have not thought biennials worth the time because I am simply so busy managing the abundance of summer at the time that they should be sown, but this week I literally squeaked out loud with joy at how beautiful the apricot foxgloves are.

But I digress.

Today, Matt Austin came to take photos. No pictures of me this time (our boiler broke and I couldn’t wash my hair) but absolutely lots of the new seed envelopes and the studio where I pack all your orders.

(Matt also took the photo of Hugo and the roses in the header. It was the first ever product shot of my natural-dyed photography backdrop. It might be a thing in the future. It might not. We'll see. I really liked this one though.)

Wednesday 18 May

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The irises have absolutely hit their stride. Langport Wren, Champagne Elegance, Frappe. Carnival Time, the ultimate brown. It is worth growing bearded irises just for the names. They become more abundant every year and I cannot believe how their presence lifts the whole field.

Thursday 19 May

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The best part of Gather for me is that I get to go and interview amazing people. My passion for aquilegia has been growing for a while but the appearance of some fascinating ruffled doubles at the front of the cottage prompted me to go all in. Today, a visit to Carrie Thomas’s garden in Swansea, packed full of such a variety of shapes and colours. As many as I can fit in the boot of the car come home with me. I pick those with good looking seed heads; I am determined to grow as many as I can from her wonderful collection.

Friday 20 May

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Another day, another trip. Today to see Joshua Sparkes at Damson Farm to learn about Korean Natural Farming. So much new and exciting knowledge. So much that I haven’t been doing that I could have been doing. So many jars and bottles and potions to brew. As soon as we have the space, we are going to have a fermentaria.

As I currently only have a tiny kitchen, I start with soaking oats for brewing a solution of lactic acid bacteria. (I have started a follow along for this on the Gather members’ Instagram. I promise it really is fabulously simple.) Much clamouring for a layman's/easy read guide for natural farming. I'll check Joshua hasn't already signed a book deal, and then I'll start researching and writing…

Saturday 21 May

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The peony harvest. They are all in the wrong place. The white ones are in the Dyeing Garden (which is going to be the dahlia garden this year, albeit with an edging of weld), the utterly glorious single red Buckeye Belle’s are in the phacelia patch, and the vegetable garden is full of Coral Charms as big as my head. I am determined to get my very exciting Row 7 Robin’s Koginut squash in, so I cut the stems long and tie the foliage to short stakes and plant out around them. This leaves me with about fifty huge peony flowers. They are so heavy, the bucket topples over twice when I am cutting them, and they take a few goes before I find a vessel big enough to hold them all. We eat supper at the table with them towering over us.

Oh, and if you are finishing a build at Chelsea this weekend, good luck. I have very mixed feelings indeed about the whole juggernaut of Chelsea and the horrendous environment impact of it (I won't be going) but there is one garden that has caught my attention. Lottie Delamain's textile garden for Fashion Revolution looks incredible and there is a really interesting article about its conception and development here. Delighted to see that Kelways grew her plants. They are local to me and the source of almost all of my bearded iris collection.

Whatever you are doing this week, have a wonderful time. If you want me, I'll be cultivating microbes.