Gardening with stitches

I have always wanted to be a gardener. I love the thought of spending a day in the garden, digging, weeding, planting, caring for the plants and at the end of the day sitting back with a glass of wine made with the fruits of my labours and enjoying natures beauty.

My reality is very different. I think I’ve tried to garden twice. I’ve gone out with the trowel and dug, weeded and planted and the bit I was ‘practising’ on looked lovely when I finished. Yet nature did her best and within a few days my piece of garden was doing what it wanted again and it looked beautiful. I just can’t bring my self to tame nature, to cultivate and make it do what I want………………so I don’t garden.

I love visiting beautiful gardens, reading gardening books and watching the TV programmes I just don’t do it.

Yes I know this blog isn’t a gardening blog - it’s a stitching blog……………………….I’m very excited…………………yesterday I got this from the library.



I’ve been considering buying it since it came out last year but unusually for me I resisted. So many embroidery books that I have bought in haste I have been disappointed in. However, be assured that this has just gone on my wish list and will soon be living in my house forever.

I’ve been trying to work out why I think this book is so wonderful:

• It’s very well written from both the practical and historical point of view.
• The pictures are stunning.
• It’s humble – and by that I mean that I don’t feel the writers are claiming to be an expert in anything (despite the fact that they are). It feels as if they genuinely want to share their experience.
• It’s inspirational – I want to go out and visit gardens with my sketchbook, camera and a flask of hot coffee.

I have a favourite garden – Chalice Well in Glastonbury, Somerset (UK). It’s a sacred site that has drawn pilgrims for centuries. It has a well, a water feature, a swing seat, beautiful plants, quiet spots, yew trees……………………………………….

This is my inspiration – my sketchbook is open my brain is buzzing and my fingers twitching……………………………….