Well, we made it!
As twilight sets on 2019, the birth of 2020 is upon us and will, I’m sure, be a year of big change. I’m an eternal optimist and my position on this change must therefore be one of hope that we can grow out of our departure from the European Union, significantly improve our planning strategies to benefit our environment, plant many more trees and generally improve our world. Obviously, this will come at a financial price and will not be without its bumps in the road, but the greater good needs us to do this all well for a sustainable future.
In 2020, I am planning on starting to do a bit of vlogging as well as blogging, so my ugly mug will be making more of an appearance online in the form of ’how to guides’ and reviews.
I‘m also looking at adding items for sale on the site. Interesting, high quality and environmentally sound items for your garden, so watch this space.
I have started (and let’s be clear this is not a New Year’s Resolution as I really don’t believe in them), to post a plant image a day on Instagram, my Facebook page and Twitter using the hashtag #oneadayplant. This goes alongside the five-a-day fruit and veg in your diet, but as spiritual sustenance rather than nutrition. Follow the hashtag on Insta to be sure to see them As they appear and call me out on any occasions where I fail to post as promised. The first 4 are pictured below.
I’m very conscious of the softly implemented (though it will shortly get more tightly firmed up) plant passporting and phytosanitary legislation that will be implemented fully by summer 2020. I think it is exactly what we need to protect both our growers and our plant health. I’m tired of seeing people selling plants out of the back of a van at the side of the road without having plant passports in place. Let’s be clear, it will most likely be fly-by-night suppliers of European plants operating outwith the plant movement rules or an illegal personal plant import by a tourist that will bring high risk diseases like Xyllela into the UK and not proper growers and traders who work tirelessly to ensure standards are maintained.
I think we should all aim to plant a tree of two each year going forward. I’m working on a strategy to become Carbon Neutral, which will include tree planting to benefit the world. Every little helps in these terms.
I have long loved the perhaps modern, perhaps Ancient Greek anonymous quote of ‘Society grows great when wise men plant trees, under who’s shade they know they shall never sit.’ While the sexism of the statement is wrong and undeniable, the sentiment is superb and as ‘society’ is entirely dependent on ’environment’, it has never been truer.
I think I’ll end it there. Lots to do. Big year. I hope it is a good one for you and yours as I aim for it to be for me and mine.
I enjoyed your blog and it really did fill me with optimism. I’m looking forward to your vlogs, blogs, ideas and new developments in 2020.