hiya bucks in Bourne End, Flackwell Heath, Marlow, Wycombe, Wooburn January 2018 | Page 26

At this time of year the greenhouse is very quiet. My gang are enjoying their Christmas break and the garden appears to have just “stopped”. It’s very odd. But there are signs that remind you of them if you look hard enough. A little pile of sweepings in a tired dustpan under the greenhouse bench. That’s Grace. Grace likes to keep me organised and loves nothing more than being in the greenhouse with the door shut, tidying up and occasionally reprimanding me for being messy. A hair band. That’s Emma. She has loads but they are never actually in her hair. She is the fashionista of the club. If she could straighten, crimp or dip dye my plants she would. Then there is a separate little pile of the “best” gardening gloves. This is either Valentine or Mariam. I cannot truly pick the guilty party. They both like the thought that these “best” gloves belong to the Year 6’s. It’s as if they have earned the honour of wearing them throughout the years they have been with me. And why not I say. You don’t just teach children when you work in a school. You learn their individual traits, their strengths and their insecurities. Their hearts are on their sleeves. They see the world in a far less complicated way and if we take the time they teach us without even knowing. I’ve taken all their comments on board. Maybe I can brighten their return to the gardening club in 2018. Watch this space. Happy New Year! Miss Barton. English Gardens Your Local, Friendly, Personal Gardener Garden Maintenance Lawn Mowing Pruning Weeding Hedge Trimming Winter tidy up 26 | hiyabucks.com Luc J Hill 07561 157 440 [email protected] based in Wooburn Green RHS Level 1 in Practical Horticulture