It was mum’s birthday this week and for part of her present I took her on a course to ‘learn to make rustic plant supports with hazel wood’.  Mum is a keen gardener so I thought it would appeal.  I prefer looking at the garden from inside a warm house but I thought it might be a giggle…

I was not giggling however, when I discovered that the unfatness plan has not yet got me back to anywhere near my smoking days size as I couldn’t fit in my gardening trousers (last worn well over a year ago!).  After a small panic when it looked like my only option might be to wear an old pair of pyjamas, I found an old pair of tracksuit bottoms which looked beautiful teamed with wellies and 9 layers of fleeces (it was a blimin’ cold day!).

Next, Mum arrived with saw, loppers, secateurs and a big tarpaulin.  To cut it short, we had a lot of demonstrations in the most gorgeous garden of a lovely, slightly bonkers, lady’s house and then we were let loose on her hazel trees to cut off and take home as much as we liked.

Which we did…

And then we had a go ourselves…

We felt we had mastered the beehive (to support plants as they grow through it)

But the weaving is probably a hazel based cat arse-imal and should not have been attempted…

Oops… :o)