Finding your way around The Gardening Mind

A bit of orientation

Finding your way around The Gardening Mind

Let’s jump straight into 2023

With The Gardening Mind having quickly grown into what I think (what do you think?) is a kind of magazine for us all, I’ve got a feeling that now might be a really good time to just have a bit of a look round the home page, in order to do a bit of orientation (not orienteering - I have a very bad sense of direction, ironically).

There are lots and lots of features, and as Substack develops, more things are added, and so I’m gathering up the key elements here for you to have a bit of a poke around and a play with. Do always remember that I try to make all of this content to suit you, so that you can observe from a quiet place, or engage - a little, or a lot. You have total freedom to read and think, suggest subjects, ask questions, send in ideas, be quiet, be loud - whatever and however you like best to go about things. It’s for you.

On your computer

You’ll see something like this:

What the Home Screen looks like for me

Now, this might look different depending on what screen you’re using - the phone screen will differ, and the app (we’ll come to that in a moment) is different again. But it gives you the idea of the publication as a whole.

Across the top of the page are various headings where I try to file posts in the right department so that you can readily find them later - there are lots of categories so do scroll along.

Below these headings, there are a variety of posts which I think will be of interest each week. You can decide whether to look at these, or go directly down to the New (in green) tab which will take you to the most recent post. If you hit Community, you’ll be able to access the most recent comments, and if you go to the magnifying glass icon, you’ll be able to search the whole publication to look for whatever is on your mind.

The categories

Here’s how they stand at the beginning of this year:

Home is what it says on the tin - and anything underlined has a link with it, so by tapping that word, it’ll take you to some more information, or to the page I’m talking about, as in this example.

Podcast is where you’ll find Rich Pickings, the new version of the podcast. You can also find this on Apple podcasts, Spotify etc.

Chat is a new-ish feature - this is a link to download the Substack app on your phone and then you’ll be able to join in the Chat itself, which is kind of a whats-app group for us all (I’m going to call it ChatsApp). I can start discussions off for us here, and the great thing is that you too can post your photos here.

I think there’s still room for us all to find our way around this feature, especially if you get a bit befuddled by all the different ways of using this platform. But we’ll persevere gently and steadily - I’ll try it out again now and again, and I do believe that as we become more used to it, it’s a helpful way for you to share your images with each other. These threads remain ‘live’, which means you can add to any of them, not just the most recent one. Honestly, it’ll start to make sense as we go along. And if it doesn’t, we can say! I’m thinking we could have a Zoom session on how to do this.

Meetings is a brand new feature, and I trialled this just a few weeks ago. It all came about from the fact that many members had questions, subjects and general thoughts that they wanted to explore on a one-to-one basis, and so, this new Meetings feature has enabled exactly that, whether it’s for students, new designers, homeowners, amateurs, professionals - there was a true range of you who took up the first slots I released. Subjects have ranged from regular career mentoring, how to design and submit a show garden, garden quandaries, and specific planting design issues, just to name a few. The good news is that due to demand, more of these slots will be released in the coming months: paying subscribers get first access to these. I started off many years ago as a teacher, and I absolutely love it. No question is too small or too silly.

Access all Areas at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show is an occasional series, which will be revving up again as we get nearer the flower show season. I designed my first show garden 15 years ago, and, having now become a garden selector and a judge, I can see the whole process from all sides. So insight, trials, tears and tribulations - that’s what’s to be expected in this behind-the-scenes category.

What’s on Your Gardening Mind is our very own Gardeners’ Question Time. And your interactions here are simply fabulous. My goodness, the subjects that come up. Currently we’re pondering the very real issue of a soggy flowerbed in Massachusetts, along with how best to market our garden skills and the best plants for a shady nook.

New News is another self-explanatory category.

Useful Stuff has covered a range of subjects this year, from recommended gardening gear (including long johns) to recommended nurseries, and tools to use if you’re finding a bit harder to get around.

Small Garden Design is a place where as a paying subscriber, you can gently explore ways of improving a garden spot. We have Zoom get-togethers, and there’s a bit of homework if you want to do it. It’s where I explain how I go about tackling garden design - it may not be the way the books tell you to go about things, but it’s where I really try to unravel my own process and share with you tips and tricks, to inspire and to delve into the depths of my design mind (yikes).

Roses - what more can I say? Well, plenty as it turns out, actually.

What Makes a Garden is one of the cornerstones of The Gardening Mind. It’s where I unpick different aspects of the creation of a garden, taking it from its beginnings and then showing how it got to where it did and how and why it works. Design, philosophy, atmosphere, emotions, thought, mulling-over and lots and lots of sharing of ideas.

Book Club is going to be having some attention this year, as last year it did tend to meld into the podcasts, and as there are so many great gardening books out there, I want to give this subject the TLC it deserves.

So, there’ll be new items, with guest reviewers, including… YOU!!! Yes, I’m going to be inviting members who have a book they want to share, to suggest one and review it, and then we’ll get together on the ChatsApp to discuss it, and a Zoom get-together for paid subscribers. And there may even be some very special guests…..

Planting Design is again fairly clear.

Plants we love is where the focus is on an individual plant, perhaps one that I’ve noticed, or often, one that readers have brought to our attention through a comment or a message.

Colour and how we see it in the garden.

Venice is a collection of pieces about Venice and its gardens which started a year ago and which has led to many return trips, and many discoveries of the most secret of gardens. There is much more to come.

What not to do in your garden stemmed from my getting flummoxed by all the advice and by a spirit of rebellion when I’m faced with a To-do list. Always to be taken with the lightest of hearts, it’s a place where we can query gardening advice and look to see how we can make things as stress-free as possible. That’s the intention, anyway.

Archive is where you find all old post in chronological order.

About is where I tell you my story, and outline all the different membership benefits, from Free, to Paid, through to Founding.

And then, after all those categories, we have the buttons which enable you to get involved. Here are 3 key ones:

There’s the very, very important ‘Leave a comment’ button:

And the very, very important ‘Share’ button:

If you want to become a regular subscriber, this button is also useful:

Please do let me know if you have any questions - I’m really hoping this spin-around the platform has been useful.

Have the very best of days, and as ever, thank you to you, friends old and new, for making The Gardening Mind what it is today in just a year. The possibilities ahead are very exciting.