Ideas are funny things.    When I first had this idea, it was just in my head, a tiny thought that maybe I could take a passion for plants and gardens and find a way to combine it with a love of stories and audio.  Then I started to write down ideas on my phone; words, sentences, titles.  Then I voiced the idea to those closest to me but always with the proviso – it’s just a thought, it may not happen.

But how do ideas gather momentum?  Beginning to share them definitely helps.  Making that first recording on my iphone was key, playing that recording to someone else - important.   The potting shed crew – crucial. (See The Potting Shed Crew blogpost 8/12/22.)

Sometimes other’s comments may sow doubts – ‘plants are very visual’, or ‘there are a lot of gardening podcasts out there’.   But then whilst researching the episode on Fig trees I came across Mary Menniti, who runs The Italian Garden Project.  This is a woman who can walk around New York and spot the Italian backyards and gardens.   She completely got the podcast idea, was full of enthusiasm and so generous with her knowledge.  And when I was telling a wise friend about Mary, I got some advice that I wanted to share with you:

‘Go where the energy is.’

So I met Mary when she happened to be in the UK and we had a wonderful conversation and attempted a hilarious recording on a bench in Peterborough.  Beware outside summer concerts and sound checks.

Don’t worry you will meet Mary again (without the music) and her enthusiasm is infectious; we will all be growing fig trees.

In the Autumn I had another lull.   Time off in summer, a dose of covid and important family things but I felt the momentum slowing.  I had made a couple of pilots and there were some stories waiting to be recorded but it was hard to see the progress.   Enter another ‘Mary Menetti’ figure, this time Caroline who’s seen this idea from infancy.  Her advice – you need a timeline and a team.   So I am working on both of those now.  The timeline gave me the launch date of April.  The team, well I’ll come back to this but its gathering and definitely giving energy.   And I know, momentum has returned.  Caroline also said that help will come from the most unexpected places and it definitely does.

So if you too are on a bit of a new journey and momentum is proving hard to gather, think timeline and team and if you sense a generous person with energy - head in that direction.  

And thank you for following this weekly blog, your support is also part of the momentum – and in my mind that makes you part of the team and I am really grateful to you.

Ps re Hori Hori knife, as you can see from the picture above, I am now the proud owner of one. It is resting on the most beautiful 2023 diary, with stunning pictures of plants taken by my photographer friend Hilary. (See A New Place to Work blogpost 21/11/22.)