{Fresh gardener} Amo, amas, amat, amaryllis

A few weeks ago my fiancé and I set the date for our wedding: 12^th June 2010. As some of you keen mathematicians will have noticed, this is a little less than four months away, which has a number of implications. Firstly, I now have little motivation to plant in my current garden, since I will be moving into a new one when I get married, so it is more important than ever for me to pick some good planters that I can take with me when I go. Secondly, I am on more of a shoestring than ever. Toilet rolls and yoghurt pots here we come. Thirdly, I am embarking on a heady, intoxicating relationship with…wedding flowers. I am excited to see that Ken Marten of McQueens floristry is joining the F&F team, but I fear that looking through his pictures will only add to my obsession.

It all started with an innocent Amaryllis. It belongs to my parents, and might be the most beautiful flower I have ever seen. I am captivated by its luminescent petals. It reminds me of the glowing flowers in Avatar, a film which left me yearning to decorate my wedding day with flowers that don’t even exist. Darn it. If Amaryllis were in season in June, I would have them as my centrepieces in a flash. Unfortunately, they are not, which leaves me searching for flowers that will create the same effect – flowers that will pop out like pink fairy lights. If anyone has any ideas, please leave a comment below.

Looking at wedding flowers is such a blissful experience, so can you blame me for swaying a little in my long-term, committed relationship to vegetables? Walking down the aisle with a bouquet of courgettes just wouldn’t be the same. However, I have still found the time to plan my indoor sowing for February, based on the packets that helpful friends and family have given me. The lucky varieties are…’Atlas‘ carrots and ‘Moneymaker‘ aubergines. A modest beginning, but I’m trying not to bite off more than I can chew (even if carrots are excellent for my teeth).

I am also eagerly awaiting the arrival of the daffodils, crocuses and tulips that I have planted in the borders, particularly as I completely forgot to note down what varieties they are. Their colours will be a happy surprise.

Finally, most of my time in the garden recently has been spent down at the compost heap, poking around and wondering when it will magically mulchilfy. I’ve never composted before, and I never thought that I could be so fascinated by a pile of mushy scraps. I’m already trying to work out how it might be possible to transport this mush to my next house. After all, it’s one thing to let your waste go to waste in the kitchen bin, and it’s another to let your waste go to waste after investing love and care into it for four months, don’t you think?