Island Life Magazine Ltd April/May 2008 | Page 75

GARDENING A new spring in our step life Garden writer Sally Charrett kick starts the spring with a new bi-monthly column, bringing green-fingered advice to hopefully interest, amuse and inspire you The great thing about gardening is it really is for everyone, whether you are happiest nurturing an organic veg plot, creating an explosion of colourful bedding plants or being well-versed in Latin plant names. The old adage 'reap what you sow' is true, but gardening doesn’t have to be backbreaking – a bit of forward planning and imagination are all the ingredients required. With this approach in mind, I am delighted to welcome you to my new column for Island Life. Each issue I shall be giving practical gardening tips, as well as inspiring, easy-to-do projects for the garden. My gardening journey so far has taken me all around the country from studying for my horticultural degree at Writtle College, Essex to gardening for the Botanic Garden of Wales. Now I’m privileged to work on the magazine of the Royal Horticultural Society, The Garden, combining a love of writing and gardening. Hailing from the Portsmouth area originally, I have spent many a blissful summer holiday on the Island. With such an amazing range of climates and terrain, the island must make for an interesting place to garden, particularly if you live on the Southeast side, where many unusual sub-tropical plants can thrive. I’d love to hear of your different gardening experiences from various places on the Isle (email me at sallycharrett@hotmail. com or write c/o Island Life magazine). In the meantime, winter seems to have finally stopped dragging her heels and this time of year is a busy one for the gardener, so start by writing a ‘to do’ list. Ask at your local garden centre for their range of annual 6Ɩ