New Campo Girls Author

Hi all,

Just thought I would introduce myself, my name is Gill and I am Campo Girls mother in law. I love plants and over the years have gathered a little knowledge about some of them, emphasis on little haha! I live in Hampshire on the eastern side and about half an hour from the coast. My garden is a typical size for a semi detached 1930s house, maybe slightly longer. I have a large patch for my chickens, a small greenhouse, a couple of lawns, loads of flowers and the rest looks like a bomb site. I would like to be one of those people who potter about outside every day, but unfortunately I border on lazy! I want my garden to be lovely with as little effort as possible. I adore flowers and trees but rarely pick them, they should be outside but am not aversed to someone giving me some from a shop, they have been grown for the purpose. Come to think of it, other than Mothers Day and my birthday, I never get any given to me now.

I am widowed and have been for over 15 years, my husband died young of cancer, and he would pick me meadow flowers sometimes, which of course these days I wouldnt encourage, as there arent enough meadows left. Every year he would stop his car when he saw the very first pussy willows and bring me a couple of sprays home, their lovely fluffy yellow heads always reminded me that spring was round the corner. Then when sticky buds were about to burst open, he never failed to bring me some home, something he also did for his Mum when he was a little boy.At Xmas he used to stop in a small lay-by just outside Four Marks where we lived to collect me a few teasles to spray gold and silver for the festive season. I have never picked any of these things since myself, then it makes it more magical that he did.

Okay folks, I have given you a very small insight of my love for flowers and hope to write to you all a lot more in the future. In fact next time I just have to tell you about my trip to a garden centre in Spain last week, the exotic things you can buy there that obviously wont grow at home. Take care all, see you soon, Gill.

EEEK - it's raining!

After a wonderful weekend gardening with nice weather to top that off, we had a real downpour today, it was like Winter all over again!

The rain was lashing everything around the garden and the palm trees were almost touching the floor, it was such a change around from the day before.

We did, however, manage to get out in the garden, I tended to a Passionflower that is growing over an Olive Tree that I have at the end of the garden (near the bar), and was really pleased to see that it is a different plant to the purple passionflower I have growing over the fence by the pool - while all this activity was happening in my garden, the other Campo Girl; Gina, was being entertained by a rat!

Due to the heavy rain the rat thought to himself "bugger this, I am going indoors!" and proceeded to try and get into Gina's house - luckily for us Gina grabbed the camera and managed to get a great picture for us to share with you all - we present to you

CAMPO GIRLS RAT - RONALDO! :D