Well, I’ve had a busy couple of weeks! 

Last week was spent tidying my garden for a visit from the RHS magazine. Luckily the weather was gorgeous when they looked around and I hope the garden looked pretty; it’s so hard to see your own plot through someone else’s eyes, without feeing judged. I’m not a tidy gardener as I like to keep the birds, bees and butterflies happy but when a photographer turns up, all I can see is weeds and nettles. Being judged is something that the designers of the show gardens at Chelsea expect, but I know it famously makes them nervous too.

I'm filming a new drama series in Ireland at the moment - its just lovely to be in a part of the world that I don't know well and I am settling in to it very easily. The countryside, the people, the food and the open gardens are just wonderful. I’m here for two months so I will be posting as I visit the various country houses, gardens, eateries, orchards and seafood places.

I'm staying near Kilkenny so please do share any recommendations for places to explore on my days off!

In other news, I'm currently busy designing some new useful and I hope, pretty things for this site. Plus my next book 'Drawn to Nature 'is due for publication in September. I will be selling signed copies here and I will let you know as soon as they are available. Once again, it will have lots of my own illustrations, including one of a baby heron that I'm particularly fond of! 

Love as ever

CQ XX