Friday 16 September 2011

Guest post: Anticipation (by Katherine Sparkes - @flamingokatie)

ANTICIPATION - ‘Living in hope’
My tiny, but much-loved garden is a constant source of emotions for me. With each new season, and even each new day, I live in the hope that by some miraculous intervention of Mother Nature, it will be transformed as if by magic into the garden of my dreams.
Of course, this has not yet happened, but the anticipation that a new season brings lives on and I find the change an incredibly exciting and refreshing time.
Managing my expectations can be tough, but I know that whatever a new season brings it will be a real treat.
As I prepare for autumn, still rueing the fact that we have hardly had a proper summer, I find myself excited by the prospect of new, and different, life.
Being aware of the changing seasons and the differences in weather it brings allows me to focus on creating a garden that will evolve and transform in each new season.
It is a constant challenge – not all plants and animals in my garden are as keen on the colder months – and I have to work hard to create a space with elements that thrive in all conditions.
This autumn I’m expecting to see the number of visitors increase, with squirrels and foxes putting in many appearances, and I hope my plants will continue to provide the amazing colours and smells that have delighted me with already this year.
The arrival of conkers is another source of joy for me. As they start to fall I know that autumn is well and truly here, and I look forward to cracking them open to find that shiny gem inside. As someone with a morbid fear of spiders, I then litter the conkers around my house to ward off the eight-legged monsters and keep them out. Don’t ask me how it works, but it actually does!  




Each changing season brings such a thrill for me. My garden may be small, but it has a lot of variety. Every year I delight in the new life that a change in the weather can bring. Snowdrops and crocus peeping through the snow and ice in the depths of winter, daffodils waking up to the spring, summer rose buds ready to bloom, leaves turning to all shades of yellow and gold as autumn sets in.
Anticipating these changes is one of the great joys about having my own patch of nature to tend and care for. It’s difficult to be too ecstatic about the wind, rain and freezing temperatures that autumn and winter bring, but seeing the effect the new season has on my little garden really does warm the heart.
Mother Nature never fails to inspire me, always bringing new life and energy with each change of the season, and it’s a real delight to watch her at work.

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Kat is one of the most inspiring people I know. We totally disagree on flowers but other than that I totally get why her sense of anticipation is so important. It drives so much. She has built a business from scratch that does so much good. Last July I played a small part towards raising £20,000 towards building in a school in Africa, based on a whim that she could do it. She has been nominated as one of the top 100 small businesses in the UK and is currently no. 2 in the vote. Take it from me she deserves to be no. 1 and if you fancy voting do so here...


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As for the guest bed, well just keep checking the blog every Friday for a new one because those of you who are kind enough to be writing for my blog have some really strong emotions to get up here!


All the emotional outpouring to date can be found in the guest bed and involves:


Love
Disappointment
Frustration
Sorrow, and
Hopeless romance


2 comments:

Esther Montgomery said...

I like conkers - but I like spiders too. We are always pleased when they come into the house to spend the winter with us and we leave their webs undisturbed.

Hapless gardener said...

Hi Esther, god to have you back on the blog! I think you may be in the minority harbouring spiders like that. Admirable mind. Even spiders need friends. Wasps don't.

The Hapless Kitchen Gardener

My photo
Bristol
I only feel hapless because some people make it look easy to grow 10 ft marrows or a banquet of greens whereas my courgettes got nabbed by killer slugs and I only got one raspberry. So tips and stories from people less hapless than I are more than welcome. As a disclaimer though, none of my comments should be taken as expert advice on which you can rely! © Unless stated otherwise, and with the exception of guest content where that guest retains copyright, all photos and posts are the copyright of Tom Carpen and may not be used without permission.