I've neglected the site for a while thanks to the relentless volume of academic papers and the endless stream of assessments, but the weather in reading week has prompted me to put down the books and pick up my cameras.
I designed the garden from what was a paddock so it's rewarding to see my design concept realised precisely as I envisaged it. England in winter is generally a drab affair so the dogwoods add much needed and welcome injections of colour.
We spent hours in the orchard gathering apples, pears, and tomatoes, a project begun in 2015 on a barren paddock. Now thriving, it has benefited from this summer’s record heat, which boosted yields.
I’ve been deep in strategy and design work for a new brand - late nights, early starts, and plenty of ignored sleep debt. Research has carried me from Bauhaus to Ndebele art, while the dog keeps vigil and the moles wage war in the orchard.
The satisfaction of growing your own against the odds coupled with the dawning realisation that you're not the apex predator in your own garden.
