My first recollection of gardening was at the age of five, when I spent a few weeks at my Grandpa Cowley's house. It was June, and time to dig in the Dahlia's. I was to make sure that the tips where up, and roots were down. I'll never forget that Summer. Grandpa had lovely green footpaths meandering through his numerous fruit trees, leading down towards the large vegetable patch. The whole garden was ablaze with roses...the fragrance was intoxicating. The imprint would last a lifetime.

As life will have it, I would again be living in their house. They were both gone now, and I had to oversee this magnificent garden. What a daunting responsibility. How would I ever preserve such excellence? I thought that everything would up and die. What did I know about gardening? After a few visits to the Library, and devouring several "How To" books; I was sure that I knew everything I needed to know about gardening. Let's see....Hmmmmm...pruning roses...it seems so easy to do. Right? Wrong! It was darn right dangerous. They tore at my clothes and hands, and whipped wickedly about my head...."It's for your own good" I kept telling them..."It says so the book!" But did they care?.

It had been a couple of years since they had been properly subdued by my Grandpa, and the roses were having none of it! All of them got a piece of me that day...literally! Now, I have my own rose garden, and a Garden Designing Business. I am affectionately known by my friends as "A Garden Nut", obsessing on all things Horticulture."I can't get enough!"When I'm digging in the dirt and the sweat is pouring off me, I'm at my happiest. To spend hours weeding, watering and dead-heading is heaven to me. What could be better than this? And it's rubbing off onto my daughters, Christine and Catherine, too! Both have the "Garden Gene". It runs in the family, you know.

Kathryn Poulton, of Kathryn's GardenScapes http://www.geocities.com/gardenchat/kathrynsgardenscapes.html