You may have seen a few articles written by Leanne Cole, mostly about her gardening skills and tips, but did you know it all started with photography? Here she is to tell us about it…
A few years ago, I had the opportunity to become a self-employed photographer. ‘No way’, I said, ‘I absolutely do not want the hassle of being self-employed’. Fast forward to day dot and becoming a self-employed gardener was, the best decision I ever made.
As a school photographer, my alarm rang out at 4am. I would leave the house at 4.30am/generally before 5, to drive to London or Brighton or Northampton or some other village or town to photograph hundreds of children in a quick sticks fashion and then hot foot it back to Essex. Upload photographs and the drive back to Felixstowe. Some of those days were 14 hour days. I was burnt out, exhausted and done with trying to get children to smile, especially teenagers who really weren’t up to it. Of course, I look back with fondness, I met some amazing people but I was done with the hectic, rushy, constantly tired lifestyle.
During lockdown, I had the thought that life had gotten too busy, too complicated. I wanted a much simpler life. I liked being a school photographer but after 14 years, I had fallen out of love with the pace. I had always been drawn to gardening. My grandfather a keen gardener, a farmer as an occupation. A very keen allotmenteer and showman of giant veggies at the local village show and so too my dad, Allotmenteer, Felixstowe gardener himself as well as being ‘Dave the gardener’, when it was Causton Junior School. The children would visit his allotment and there would be competitions such as, who can grow the tallest sunflower? He also used to venture into the classroom talking about helpful and not so helpful bugs. Gardening was, it would seem, apparently in the genes so well worth a route to pay attention to.
Fast forward to today, I am in my second year as a self-employed gardener and come September, will be a part time student studying RHS Level 2 in Practical Horticulture. I can’t possibly bore my friends anymore talking flora and fauna, I can just about see the light disappear from their eyes when I talk plants, weeds and gardening. I am excited to start college and sit, chat and study with like minded people. I mean, I love to weed a border or cut a hedge or sow seeds but I’m excited to get to the nitty gritty of it all. It has been known however, that friends must be interested in their outside space as I get the occasional text, ‘Is this a weed?’, as they send a photo, ‘Can I cut this now’, as they send a photo of a rose that’s out of control, or, ‘What do I do with this?’, a crazy long lawn that’s full of weeds. I love it when they do that, though sometimes I do have to get a second opinion from my very clever friend Elle. Perhaps I’ll know more September…
Until next time,
Leanne x
Photo description:
"Older gentleman is William Cole, my grandfather who is now 99.
Photo of small child, my niece Poppy and my father David Cole."
