Barely pausing to greet me as I opened the front door, my friend Jane, a fellow gardener, strode through the hall and straight out into the garden, where she began putting on her gardening boots and gloves.

“Right kiddos!” I screeched up the stairs, “Jane and I are going to need your help to remove that old diseased apple tree and then plant another one!” A volley of complaints rained down from above about insects, dirt and a REALLY important football match on an Xbox.

As I drew breath for an even louder return, Jane called up the stairs sweetly: “Oh, you’ll enjoy this guys; it’s going to be so cool. We are going to have a farewell ceremony for the old apple tree first, aren’t we Sonia?”

This is an extract from the September 2010 issue of Reform.

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Related articles:

1. Sonia Christie – Eco-Gardener: December contemplation
2. Sonia Christie – Eco Gardener: Trouble over the lawn-mowing
3. Sonia Christie – Eco Gardener: Tough love in the garden
4. Sonia Christie – Eco-Mum: Kitchen bin recycling
5. Sonia Christie – Eco-Mum: Struggling with the house cleaning

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