I'm not a great tv watcher so was so thrilled to turn on the box to the new series called landscape man to discover a programme about Keith and Ros Wiley's new garden. I missed a talk by Keith a couple of weeks ago (probably too busy weeding or something) so it was a double treat to find the programme. Wow. If I think I am an obsessive I have not even got onto the nursery slopes yet. He has taken a four acre field and is turning it into something monumental, amazing vision, amazing structures, completely fabulous planting. I have a larger field and I feel totally insignificant as though I am playing about in the inner reaches of suburbia in comparison - not that I am anywhere near the nursery slopes of comparison either. The man is extraordinary, though I did so relate to his exhausted comments how he wished he'd done it about 15 years earlier (I guess we're about the same age) and the very rare times he was drooping with tiredness and could hardly focus. But gosh what energy and what talent. In the next few years I hope my cutting field will be transformed into the mature hedged garden of huge colourful varied borders with great sweeps of colour from largely perennial plantings beyond, but now I think I'm beginning to dream of doing something else with the adjoining three acres where at the moment sheep may safely graze.
My husband was worried when he saw my obvious enthusiasm for the Wiley project. He was a little alarmed when he returned from a working trip three summers ago to find I had dug a large pond nearly 7 feet deep at the top of the hill (but now he rather likes it) and may be running scared.......luckily he knows I just don't have the energy for an extra side to what is already an all consuming project!
But if you didn't catch the programme find some time to check it out on iplayer. The man is a genius.
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