One book down, are there more I wonder?

I have spent a lot of time creating words for tour brochures for the garden tours I lead. They are meant to encourage people to join me. I used to write my garden descriptions for the Open Garden Scheme to entice visitors. Always trying to entice people seems to be my raison d’etre. I studied freelance journalism a few years ago in an effort to write concisely, although I never took that any further. It was just an excuse to write. I write about all sorts of moments and file some of them to revisit one day. “My writing,” I call it.

This year I attended a workshop at the Readers and Writers Festival in Margaret River and what I discovered was that I didn’t enjoy the creative experience. I am too black and white. I was astounded, never having done this sort of exercise before, at what fantasy people could invent in just a few moments while I turned mine back into reality. Whilst full of admiration, this just wasn’t for me. At least, not yet.

So, back to reality. It was a thrilling experience to turn a dream into words with The Garden Wanderer. I loved talking with the garden owners, feeling the sense of their places and listening to their stories of dreams and realities. Some of these were one. I thrive on research. People are what I love, so what greater honour than to try and transmit their stories onto paper and to mix them with some wonderful photos? That’s another thing I thought I might do in my spare time… take a few pictures to do my own books.

I went along to a Camera Club once and was quickly flattened by what is involved, equipment aside, so I will leave that to the experts. The best I can do is guide them to the composition I am trying to achieve and leave them to it.

So, back to writing. Or perhaps I should leave that to the experts and retreat to my garden. No, this is something I think I can do, and only repetition will see me improve.

Julie Kinney is an avid gardener whose interests are many and varied especially involving the Western Australian countryside. Originally she fell in love in with sumptuous old world roses which led on to trees and perennials until she is now generally considered a plants person always chasing something new. This then had her sourcing and exploring gardens as a selector for Australia’s Open Garden Scheme across Western Australia, for many years. Now she is planning and leading garden tours both overseas and at home.

Julie has formed two garden clubs in her years in the Margaret River region with the latter being focused on Mediterranean gardening and dealing with climate change. She loves nothing better than to be in a garden, any garden.

Her book, ‘The Garden Wanderer,’ was published by Margaret River Press in 2016.