The power of planting implements

Growing up, I remember one of my favourite films was Superman 2 - it’s the one where Superman takes the hand of General Zod, the main villain, and crushes his hand after everyone thinks he’s lost his powers.

It’s a great scene, where the baddie regrets asking Superman to hold his hand, the music builds and the world is saved just in the nick of time.

Well, this week I felt like Superman, when I managed to crush the plastic handle on my garden trowel. The trowel was part of a gift set of gardening tools that my Mum had given me for Christmas. I think that it was made to the same exacting standards as a seaside plastic bucket and spade.

I had officially broken my first garden implement with just my bare hands; Monty Don would be proud of me.

The fact it was a gift from my Mother was causing me to feel a little tense. My Mum. whenever she visits, always asks if I’m still using the tools she bought me.

About six months ago I planted my first container with plants I gave to my mum for Mother’s Day. I thought that if I were to re-plant the container for her, she might not take it quite so badly when I revealed the news that her present is now in trowel heaven. For those of you who don’t know where trowel heaven is, it’s off the A17 near Fosdyke Bridge.

Also, I thought it would give her something else to focus on other than the underwear on her neighbour's washing line. My mum is convinced that the items hung are far too revealing, therefore she must be a lady of the night.

Into the base of the pot I placed some broken pieces of pot - I was told that this would help with drainage. Just how it does it I don’t know but that’s what I was told.

I then half-filled the pot with a good quality multi-purpose compost into which I planted some short-stemmed tulip bulbs to add surprise in the Spring. Once the bulbs were planted, I added another seven inches of compost so they were covered. In the centre, I planted some wallflowers to give a bit of height and around the sides, I planted some Winter pansies, violas and polyanthus.

I took the planted container round to my mum’s house yesterday morning. For those of you wondering, I can confirm the aforemtioned underwear is definitely skimpy!