As I was hot footing it down the high street this morning our Hawaiian-shirted butcher, cleaver in hand, gestured to me. My initial reaction was to keep my head down (preferably to retain its relationship with my shoulders) and shift gear to hyper-drive until I noticed he was smiling, beckoning me over and into his emporium of home made sausages, homity pie and Cornish Yarg. Mr T is a relatively new convert to the ways of the soil and has embraced this religion with zealot-like enthusiasm; in the last year he has re-landscaped his garden, grows vegetables, flowers, herbs, the whole kerbang, many from seed. Ignoring potential pork purchasers (ha!) he shouted “wait there” and ducked into the back room. He emerged proudly with two pots one of which contained a Cape Gooseberry Physalis peruviana, the other the Chinese Lantern Physalis alkekengii. An unexpected and welcome gift.
This happy event was my inspiration to put finger tip to keyboard and begin my new blog. There are gardening folk around every corner, some of them might not even consider themselves as such, but anyone who grows and tends, from the smallest yoghurt pot to the largest estate, indoors or out, has a story to tell. And I do love a good story.
Off The Edge Gardening 
My butcher never gives me plants. I think I shall have to have a word with him. What a lovely gift, as long as you don’ t get the two mixed up. One delicious, but isn’ t the other poisonous? I thought Chinese lanterns belonged to the Solanum family. But then so do tomatoes and potatoes.
Anyway, great that it got you started on your new blog. And I am one of your first followers. The first of many.
LikeLike
Brilliant, you win a prize, as yet secret …… I do think you should have a word with your butcher 🙂
LikeLike
We don’t have a butcher as we buy virtually all of our food from supermarkets. Shame really as they sound like interesting characters!
Great to see your new blog Gill 🙂
LikeLike
Welcome, glad you are back on board!
LikeLike
AH!!! SO SO happy you are back with a new blog!! Loving it already! 🙂 Looking forward to your next good story! xx
LikeLike
Whoopeedoo Michelle is here! X
LikeLike
I am getting a bit confused with Off the edge gardening and some replies On the edge gardening. Help!
LikeLike
Not sure how to solve that, will have to ask the clever folk at WordPress
LikeLike
What a relief to see you back up and running with this new blog! Your posts always (well pretty much always) give me a good laugh!
LikeLike
That is good news, thanks Amy glad to have you on board again 🙂
LikeLike
To many new beginnings! Aren’t you right? – indeed inspiration lurks ‘around every corner’, but someone has to bring it out into the light 🙂
LikeLike
And from every nation! Thanks 🙂
LikeLike
I enjoy your posts so much. Please just “keep on keeping on”!
LikeLike
This is my first time at following a blog – did you have a stand at southport flower show?
LikeLike
Hello Karen, hope to get a few more posts going in the next few weeks, a bit a transition time at the moment. No, not been to Southport! 🙂
LikeLike
so glad you are back… 🙂
LikeLike
So glad you found me! 🙂
LikeLike
I’m new to `blogging`. I’ve just started following you and The Biking Gardener; I’m sure I’ll soon get the hang of it ! Especially now that my time spent gardening is starting to lessen as Autumn is looming.
LikeLike
I think you have the hang of it already! Can we expect a blog from you?
LikeLike
Ooh do you mean on your site or start one of my own? I’ve certainly got a lot to say about gardening – probably more questions than answers…starting with the huge blisters I got from angelica archangelica this summer 😦
LikeLike
One of your own! I would follow you, it is very easy …..
LikeLike