Stained Glass by Suzie Young

My brilliantly talented artist of a mother, Suzie Young has created this exquisite piece of stained glass artwork for the bow window of our boat. It is set off delightfully by the black cratch cover and wooden frame. We just need to frame the stained glass piece in wood, fix it in place and it will brighten our bow. I can't wait until the bow doors are open, sun illuminates the glass and I watch the twinkling of the windmill from our bed.

Potting on

Whilst I spent the Easter holiday galavanting around the south coast, Leigh was tending to the greens on board. For all of our benefit he documented the next steps in our gardening project; potting on...

The dwarf beans were far from small so were the first to be repotted and they have loved the transition, jutting up and out...

The bush tomato and chilli plants are maintaining themselves although still rather small. The courgette's are thick and firm and I am awaiting the next growth spurt of spikey courgette leaves. Out of all the herbs in the window planter, only the basil has come up so I've started over again with the herbs and planted a tomato plant at either end. The garden bed for the roof is not yet assembled and I am waiting for fairer weather before this happens. Still, whilst awaiting the fruits of our plants, we have been tucking into the sprouting seeds in sandwiches and salads, Mmm...

Garden on board

The raised garden bed which will sit on the roof is still under construction and I am cogitating on resolving it some time soon. In the meantime, we have been occupied with sowing the abundance of seeds donated to us from wonderful mother bird. Leigh has been excellent at watering and keeping the young alive and through the propagator we can see life!

There is movement in the trays of soil dotted around in the sunny spots of the boat...

The courgettes certainly are coming on strong...

And the lettuces are stretching their little green leaves up high to the streaming sunlight...

We also have bush tomatoes, chilli peppers, dwarf beans and squash which we are waiting to see a peek of green from soon. In the indoor window box, I have planted all the herbs of choice; parsley, coriander, basil and chives.

And this year we are filling up on micro salads in the form of sprouting seeds, easy to grow, no soil, only wet kitchen roll in a jar, covered with cling-film and they are so good for you...

So even with limited space, resources and money it is working out well to grow our own food aboard our narrowboat.

Seed bombs

By Amanda Young


A flower array in Fibonacci's sequence
like the coiled serpent whose mouth is wide open - listen
with your curly ear, searching
as the wind catches mycelium spores.

New York's 70's community garden, inspires the introduction.
A Guerilla Gardener's page-turner of green-fingered individuals and groups.
Forking over the city scape to recreate a vibrant vegetative life-force,
where seed bombs explode under flickering street lights.

Teased, tempted, hungry for community growing -
gypsophilia, gladioli, garlic and green beans.
Disused spaces, reclaimed for usage - we tend,
and engage again with the fruits of all shared gardens.

Modelling Monday

All photos of Delia Derbyshire are by Lovely Leigh

Wild Woman Sleep

By Amanda Young


She softly lifts the green grazing-grass
and lowers herself delicately into bed.

Covering over with the duvet-turf,
she closes her eyes to the ivory moon.

Wild horses come close
and rest their heads next to hers.

The paunches of belly-mounds form new hills
like babes asleep in the wood.

Children sing a fading tune to the rhythm of a rocking-horse.
She hums along in her sleep, wild woman sleep.