11/05/2026
A very personal before and after this week.
I spent the weekend with my gorgeous brother and sister and their amazing partners doing the final visit to empty and clean our dads cottage before handing it back to the National Trust. I wanted to be responsible for the garden, I don't always know what to say to people when things are difficult but I can always do something helpful. Something I got from dad. It was really special to spend time in a space that he loved and cultivated, from a plain patch of grass to an area with a thriving wildlife pond, fruit trees and veg beds with a rosemary I grew from a cutting for him years ago.
When we'd finished the cottage had never been cleaner, and the garden hadn't looked so up together in ages, it felt like such a shame that Dad wasn't there to enjoy it, and to enjoy us all being there together. I'll (hopefully) be growing some memorial roses from cuttings of his beautiful climber to share and I found the stash of wildflower seeds that he'd collected, so will find somewhere to sow them in memory of him ❤️🌱