I was looking for a picture of one of my children today for someone and as I scrolled through photographs of Silver Birch trees (coming soon), Monkey Puzzle trees which we all know about now, radishes (also coming soon) and a myriad of other plants; perennials, bulbs, shrubs and trees, the lady asking what my child looked like said, “don’t worry if you can’t find one”!

Friends who listen to the podcast are also sending me plant photos which I do love. Above is a small sample of some of the most recent ones inspired by Andrea’s Monkey Puzzle tree and its Offshoot and Bonus. I love the small one, bottom left from Charlotte, it’s like a really cute toddler but we know what happens to Monkey Puzzle toddlers! Top right from Colette, I think of as just approaching a teenager, you can start to see the personality but we know what happens to Monkey Puzzle teenagers too. Top left was sent by Bridget and she told me she was resisting the urge to buy! Bottom right is from Alison - there is no sign of a Monkey Puzzle tree anywhere near this cottage - there’s got to be a story. Have they always wanted one?

If you have been following this series of episodes during March, I would urge you to take a listen to the short bonus episode from this week. David Gedye who we met in the Offshoot who has been on the trail of this tree for some 68 years delves into the myths and the marketing around it. In an Instagram post about the episode, I promised this was the last you would hear from me on this tree to which Eduardo Olate warned “never say never!” He’s right if there was a good story behind that cottage name…..

I had a visit this week from Mona Abboud and she bought me the most beautiful gift - Corokia x virgata ‘Frosted Chocolate’. Together we looked around my garden to find a place for it. I love the leaf shape and colour and if you haven’t listened to Mona’s wonderful story about her adventures with Corokia do - its a story of real determination. She also gave me a copy of her new book: ‘Branching Out’. It’s the story of how aged 71 she: “embarked upon the biggest and most challenging task of my horticultural life: buying a neighbouring 600 square metres of overgrown scrubland and adding it to my award winning garden”. Her friend Steve’s reaction when he first saw the plot was: “You must be out of your bloody mind.”

However Mona tackled it in the same way she did her search for Corokia with a determination and will that leads to the most incredible story of transformation. I love sharing with you, books written by people I have met on this podcast journey. You can buy Mona’s new book here. Check out page 44 when the delivery of an Olive tree weighing 200 kilos, involves not just the driver (62yrs old and a recent knee operation) but two German tv cameramen. Mona has a saying - life doesn’t give you what you want, it gives you what you need. Definitely true on that day! We are lucky to have gardeners such as Mona, who have the drive to take on such big projects as well as the responsibility of holding a National Collection, especially when as she tells us in her plant story it was not her original intention!

In next Tuesday’s podcast we move to a slightly slimmer tree the Silver Birch and another beautiful story about how nature can restore us when we are most in need. I hope you will enjoy it and share these plant stories with friends. And if you want to send me a plant photo please do - I’ve put the children’s photos in an album!

Have a lovely weekend

Sally