THE LAST WORD
I am grateful to have been invited to attend so many gardening events over the course of this year and excited to know that we have such a strong gardening community in Scotland wiling to support and encourage each other.
From the biggest event in the Scottish gardening calendar, Scone Palace Garden Fair, where gardeners from all over the country meet to chat, learn, be inspired, and buy plants and garden accessories, to the local community gardening projects going on often unnoticed by the masses, but with a quiet determination to bring the joy of gardening locally, I have loved every gardening encounter.
I’ve had the pleasure of listening to Mr. George Anderson speak as part of the The Caley’s Winter Talks series on his life in horticulture, as well as enjoying talks throughout the year from Jim Jermyn, Brian Cunningham, Kirsty Wilson, Andrew Hinson, Chelsea Lowe, Ken Cox, and Scott Smith amongst others. Try to make the time to attend some of the excellent talks delivered by knowledgable horticulturists across the country, it really is worth the effort.
I have been lucky to have been invited to present a keynote speech at the Scottish Gardeners’ Forum Annual Winter Gathering Conference on why gardening makes us feel so good, to have hosted talks in the Potting Shed at Scone Palace Garden Fair, and am always delighted when a local horticultural group asks me to speak at their monthly meet-ups, even with new bookings into 2026!
I have enjoyed a new judging challenge this autumn in the ‘Rural Skills’ category of ‘Growing’ at the Scottish Smallholder Festival, alongside judging the annual ‘Pallet & Planter Challenge’ run by the Scottish Gardeners’ Forum at Scone Palace Garden Fair, and the annual flower show judging for local groups and societies.
Meeting and catching-up with fellow gardeners is always an occasion of great joy whether that’s at The Caley Spring Bulb Show, a visit to Branklyn Gardens with the Scotland Grows Connects Group, chatting with community or school gardeners in my work with Trellis, or gathering together with Scotland Grows readers at our Insta Meet-ups.
And of course, it has been another busy year on the podcast interviewing such a diverse range of guests sharing their gardening wisdom on the Scotland Grows Show for all of our benefit (there's a wee Christmas special coming your way in December). It has also been wonderful to have been invited onto BBC Radio Scotland several times this year to chat more about gardening.
My work is filled with gardening - from writing, talking, presenting, supporting, and doing - and there never seems to be enough time to keep spreading the joy of gardening but I have most recently been inspired at the Chartered Institute of Horticulture’s ‘Grow Careers’ Conference by the enthusiasm of students on their horticultural journey. On reflecting on their different passions within horticulture, I’ll finish with the words of the late Jim McColl from my interview with him last year when he reflected, “I think the profession is in safe hands.”
As we look forward at this time of year to a new gardening year about to unfold before us, be sure to take advantage of the 365 opportunities awaiting you each and every day.
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