I have to go all the way back to my childhood (50 years plus) when I can remember my Mum tending the flowers in the side border in the back garden of our terraced house in West Cornwall. I was fascinated by the beauty of the roses and carnations and I would watch spellbound as the bees tirelessly visited the flowers. At one time I found an old bulb kicking around the back lane. I planted that bulb and it grew, producing flowers for many years which I called 'White Bells' because the flowers looked like a white version of those beautiful Blue Bells seen in woodland areas. When my Brother and I were older my Dad turned over our lawn and planted vegetables - carrots; lettuce; runner beans; tomatoes in the greenhouse. I have never understood where he gets his gardening knowledge from because the only tv gardener I remember back then is Geoffery Smith, I certainly don't remember my Dad avidly studying gardening books as I have done. He is just a natural I guess.

Another fond memory I have is of my neighbours gardens, two in particular. Mr. Beckett who had a back garden that was absolutely immaculate, like a stately home garden only on a small scale. Then there was Mr. Pearce who had the most fantastic Snap Dragons and the bees endlessly putting in their shift collecting pollen.

Later in my teens I planted a couple of Sunflower seeds, then feeding them with a little packet of Phostrogen, I would measure them and they would grow at around one inch per day. Mother nature working at her very best, encouraging and nurturing my growing interest.  Little did I know back then it had already happened and I was HOOKED.