tools, buckets, pots, labels, etc with the end being given over to what Luke called the office. Basically, an old table, a couple of chairs, a grubby kettle, a pile of invoices and a stack of gardening magazines.
I spent the first couple of hours inspecting everything, checking service dates on the machinery and generally acquainting myself with what I had to work with. Everything looked to be in good order, aside from the ride-on, but the hand tools, which were wonderfully old, could have done with a good scrub and sharpen as well as a coating of linseed oil to protect the wooden handles. I noted that down as a wet-weather task. There were always things to do when managing a garden, even during inclement weather.
By the time I had finished going through everything, Nell was getting restless.
‘Come on then,’ I said, pulling my coat back on, ‘let’s go and see what the garden has to offer, shall we?’
In much the same way as I had worked through the tools and equipment, I made notes on every aspect of the garden, prioritising those areas which needed the most work and marking out, on a rough hand-drawn design, points of interest which we could highlight when the garden was open in the winter. There was already a lot that we could utilise and some obvious spots where we could further and easily enhance what was already planted.
The only thing missing was a functioning greenhouse. The original ones were little more than shells, their wooden frames rotting and empty. Broad-Meadows had heated space in abundance and I knew I was going to have to broach the lack of it here with Luke at some point. A garden of this size really needed a glasshouse, even if only a small one.
‘Here you are,’ said Luke, when he later caught up with me in the fern garden. ‘We thought you’d come to the house for your tea-break, but there was no sign of you.’
‘Crikey,’ I said, straightening up from the crouched position I’d been in, trying to read a faded plant label, ‘is it that time already?’
‘Not tea-break time,’ Luke laughed. ‘You missed that completely. It’s almost twelve now.’
‘Is it really?’ I gasped, amazed that the morning had run away with me and I hadn’t realised.
‘Yes,’ he said, ‘and Chloe, our trusty volunteer, is going to be here any minute. She’s looking forward to meeting you.’
I was looking forward to meeting her too. I hoped she was, at the very least, willing and able because I had plenty lined up for her to do. My list-making was supposed to make me feel more organised and help settle my nerves, but it was getting so long, I was starting to wonder if just the two of us would be able to tick even half the things off in the time we had to get the garden ready to open.
* * *
Chloe turned out to be about my age, with a healthy can-do attitude and closely cropped auburn hair. She arrived by bicycle, with a bag from Blossom’s tucked in the basket and a warm and welcoming smile lighting up her striking amber-coloured eyes.
‘Oh, look at your gorgeous hair!’ was the first thing she said to me as I pulled my heavy plait over my shoulder for reassurance. ‘Kate told me it was long, but I thought she was exaggerating. Sorry,’ she then apologised, shaking her head as she climbed off the bike and thrust the bag from Blossom’s into Luke’s arms. ‘Rolls for lunch,’ she told him before turning back to me. ‘Let me introduce myself properly, I’m Chloe.’
She was shorter than she had looked when she was sat on the bike, but no less full of enthusiasm. She was exactly what the garden, and I, needed. I was surprised Luke hadn’t been making better use of her, what I could already tell was, boundless energy.
‘And I’m Freya,’ I smiled back.
‘Of course, you are,’ she grinned, ‘with your pretty blue eyes and Rapunzel tresses you couldn’t possibly be anyone else. And this is lovely Nell.’
Nell was doing her best to stay hidden behind my legs. I reached behind me and patted her head.
‘It is,’ I told Chloe. ‘I’m afraid she’s a bit shy.’
Chloe nodded. ‘I can sympathise,’ she said, looking at the little she could see of Nell’s head, ‘I’m a bit that way myself.’
Luke rolled his eyes and led us into the house while I tried to work out if she was being serious