A quiet month…

November 2021

It’s lucky for me that November is a quiet month in the gardening year. A combination of busy weekends, time away and preparations for the Heart of Suffolk Winter Exhibition meant that making new work had to be my main focus.

Nature came indoors instead - a gifted pot of cyclamen hederifolium became the subject for a preparatory sketch on canvas and my table gradually filled with plants, leaves, berries and twigs - all gathered as references for a new painting. 

The garden sadly, was left to its own devices.

Imagine my embarrassment then when a friend who having seen it in the summer wanted to know how it looked in winter without the froth and colour of herbaceous planting. This is when the structure and functionality of any garden becomes truly apparent and her visit was to help her decide on the design and style of her own new garden, which is currently a blank canvas.

Dedicated time is needed to exploit the full potential of any creative activity so unsurprisingly this request brought into sharp focus the knotty dilemma of how to maintain a healthy work/life balance - which in my case (art/gardening) seems definitely unbalanced.

I have resolved to try and find a solution for 2022. I’ve decided to test one of my own products and beginning in January to keep a weekly record of how I use my time. I aim to set goals that are achievable and prioritize tasks based on importance and urgency. I’m going to set a time limit to complete each task in an organised way, make lists and plan ahead.

I can then realistically judge how much time it takes to maintain the garden to a standard I am happy with.

Writing this is good. It makes me feel in control. If it doesn’t work I dare say I will just carry on as normal…

Happy Christmas, happy gardening and all best wishes for the New Year.

Oh and thanks for reading:-)