Do you remember where we left off? The house was bursting at the seams with plants, parcels, and the scent of damp compost. Well, just when things seemed to have found their rhythm along came those fateful words that every mother knows too well…
“Mum, you couldn’t just”
Ah yes, those four little words that start so innocently but always end with something wonderfully complicated!
It all began could you just grow a few plants from seed. Just a few, mind you. Nothing major. A small experiment. Well, it sounded simple enough, didn’t it? Except, as you know, seeds have a way of multiplying, once planted, have a habit of growing roots. There was one little problem though. It was far too early in the year. The air was still cool and the days were short. Seeds need warmth, light, and patience.
So I had a plan: We’ll make our own little growing room,. And so, before long, one of the bedrooms, yes! a bedroom had been transformed into a miniature greenhouse!
Shelves went up along the walls, daylight lights were hung above each shelf, and trays of seeds began to sprout in very wet trays. The room glowed casting a warm, otherworldly light. I used to laugh half-expecting a knock at the door from the local police any day. If anyone look through that window and they’ll think we’ve started growing something illegal!
What started as “just growing a few seeds” was about to blossom into something even bigger… One poly tunnel appeared in my garden so that the seedlings could be potted up and moved out of the bedroom. This was followed by three more....
With the spare bedroom glowing like a miniature sun and seedlings sprouting happily under their lamps. Well, you’d think that would have been enough excitement for one household, wouldn’t you? But oh no, David, there was always another idea just around the corner!
You see, David had always had a deep love for fishing. From the moment he could hold a rod, he was happiest sitting by a quiet lake, listening to the soft lapping of water and the call of the birds. It wasn’t just about the catch it was about the peace. Kayleigh often went along with him, wrapped up warm, enjoying the stillness of it all. She used to say it was one of the few times he actually sat still long enough to relax!
But David’s passion for ponds and water went back even further to when he was just a boy. One morning, while I was enjoying a rare lie-in, David and his brother decided they wanted a pond of their own. So, without a moment’s hesitation, out they went into the front garden, armed with shovels and great enthusiasm.
Well, you can imagine the scene when I came downstairs later that morning there they were, two mucky-faced boys, proudly standing in front of a gigantic hole in the front garden.
After the initial shock (and a few deep breaths), I decided that sometimes it’s best to go with the flow. So off we went to the garden centre and came home with a preformed pond and a little pump. The boys had to make sure it was all level, then we planted in and around it and even added some fish. So years later, it came as no surprise that, even before the plant business started to take over every inch of their house, David still found time to share that love with his own daughters. He and the girls built a big pond in their front garden, spending hours together building a raised pond in their own front garden and filling it with fish.
Once the plant business started getting really busy then a further pond in the front garden was required for housing stock, this was now starting to impact on the flower beds that Kayleigh had planted.
It was to house Water hyacinths Pontederia crassipes which at that time were not banned, but unfortunately they are now.
The garden may have been turning into a jungle of plants waiting to be sent to customers, but to the girls, it was a magical place a living, growing adventure.
But Kayleigh, bless her, had just about reached her limit. Every room was full the kitchen, the study, even the hallways. There were bags of compost by the back door, boxes stacked by the stairs, and the constant rustle of packing materials.
Finally, one day she turned to David with that tone only a mother can manage and said,
“Enough is enough. You either find somewhere else for this business or I’m moving out!”
And she meant it, too.
The business had grown far beyond their cosy little home and was starting to spill out into the whole village. There were lorry deliveries arriving on narrow country lanes, drivers scratching their heads trying to figure out how to turn around. The neighbours were understanding, but it was clear the time had come.
So, the hunt began for new premises. It was both exciting and daunting but also knowing they were growing into something much bigger than they had ever imagined.
That is where the next part of the story begins...
