A Writer’s Love Of Gardening
Writing and gardening have a lot in common, I find. Stories and the characters that populate them often explore growth and change, and that’s the essence of gardening.
My favorite place to write is outdoors too, surrounded by plants and animals. As a result I’ve spent a lot of time gardening and also growing indoor plants as well.
With the audiobook of my debut novel Pariah’s Lament coming out very soon, I wanted to reflect on my favorite form of procrastination during the writing of that book: gardening.
Why I Love Gardening
I find nothing more satisfying than planting a seed and watching it sprout and grow into a beautiful blooming flower.
There’s also something immensely therapeutic in caring for plants, not to mention the calming and reassuring effect being surrounded by beautiful emerald leaves of all different shapes and sizes has.
One aspect of gardening I love above all is the creation of little food chains and habitats. With very little effort you can easily create a lovely little environment for the likes of bees, butterflies, greenflies, ladybirds and birds like sparrows, starlings and goldfinches. For me, seeing all this life in my garden warms my soul. I can stand there and watch them all day.
Let me tell you a bit about what I did.
Wildflower Growing Tips
Wildflowers are maybe one of the easiest things to grow. You can literally buy packs of seeds and scatter them onto some soil. The best time to plant is in early Spring, though you can plant right up to the start of summer.
Once you’ve scattered your seeds, cover them with a thin layer of compost or soil and water well. The watering is what activates the growth stage, so keep them well watered until they pretty much mature and then they look after themselves.
Here are some tips I’ve picked up:
● Try to pick wildflowers native to your local area to better support local fauna
● Leave the grass at the edge of your wildflower bed to grow long with the flowers. Most of these flowers grow in meadows so the grass offers structural support.
● Cut dead heads off, particularly the likes of cornflowers. They sometimes get a second flowering if you do it. Don’t chuck away the heads, though. They have seeds in them which you can use for next year.
● Have lots of garden wire at the ready! Some types of wildflowers grow broad and wide. In some seed mixes you can get pretty big plants mixed in with smaller ones. They can overwhelm the others so may need repositioning with the help of wire.
Indoor Plant Tips
I love indoor plants just as much as outdoor ones. I’ve got one rubber tree plant that’s followed me around for the past eleven years and stands at about thirteen feet in height.
The past few years I’ve done a lot of propagating of plants and experimenting with where to position them. I’ve also killed a fair few so I’ve learned what not to do.
Here are some tips:
● Make sure you get the right soil for your plants. This can range wildly for indoor plants. Some like soil that drains, others prefer sand, some like soil that retains moisture. It’s therefore vital you do your research first and make up the right potting mix.
● Don’t water often! So many indoor plants don’t like wet feet. Something I stick to is to let the soil dry, but not too much—that can distress the roots. You can check this by sticking your finger into the soil. If the top couple of inches are dry, give them a soak. Also some plants don’t like sitting in water, so empty out those drip trays
● Some indoor plants simply like different spots. If it’s not doing well in one place, try it in another. Some like the sun, others hate it. So move things around if they’re looking sheepish.
● Orchids are one of my favorite indoor plants to grow, but they’re hard to maintain. They’re very much a species of plant that when you find a spot they like, don’t move them. They like lots of indirect sun and unusually for an indoor plant, they like wet feet. Keep the soil moist and a small amount of water in the drip tray and they usually flower year round.
Thank you very much for reading, and happy gardening!
Of Metal and Magic Core Series
Richie Billing
Genre: Epic Fantasy
Publisher: Of Metal And Magic Publishing
Date of Publication: 17/03/2023
ISBN: 1838400915
ASIN: B09H7RYS5D
Number of pages: 423
Word Count: Approx. 110,000
Cover Artist: 100 Covers
Tagline: "So often it's the forgotten who possess the power to change the world."
Book Description:
When an attempt is made on the life of Ashara, Keeper of Yurr, his young, hapless advisor Edvar must uncover and stop those behind it.
With enemies in the capital city and the belligerent Tesh, Keeper of neighbouring nation Karrabar stirring trouble in the Borderlands, can Edvar hold together Ashara's brittle reign?
The troubles ripple throughout Yurr, affecting an ancient race of people known as the Amast, who in their time of utmost need, turn to pariah Isy for salvation. Rejected by society, kith and kin, can Isy guide the Amast to safety during the greatest turmoil Yurr has known since the War of the Damned?
Pariah's Lament will take you on a rollercoaster of an adventure ‘that will keep you spellbound as you traverse the world alongside Isy and Edvar’ (Books Behind The Title). And along the way you’ll experience ‘intense fighting scenes, a little romance and flawed characters’ (Sarah Lillian Books).
If you love to explore fantasy worlds, this book won’t disappoint. Part of a shared universe populated by other authors, the setting in Pariah’s Lament has proven a huge hit with readers, with some praising the ‘insane level of detail’ (The Book Suite) and vividness of its descriptions.
Excerpt:
Like a flock of dive-bombing gulls, the great stones
of the Yurrish trebuchets and catapults twisted and turned in the air. One
jagged chunk struck the bow of a Karraban galley and splinters and shards burst
forth to a chorus of cracks and screams. Another great boulder obliterated the
masthead of a nearby ship, hurling those upon the deck overboard.
More missed than struck. The yellow tide did not falter.
Driven forward by oars, the Karraban fleet ate up the
water, moving in a diagonal line. The trebuchets were taking an age to reload.
From his vantage point, Jem could see those on the quay hurrying to winch back
the catapults. At the sound of a frantic horn, the arms of the catapults were
unleashed and clusters of iron balls, stones and rocks rained down on those
ships leading the Karraban charge, puncturing hulls, sails and decks.
Still they came.
The trebuchets, ranges adjusted, loosed again and once
more struck a destructive blow. The Karrabans still persisted. Yurrish archers
upon the quay walls unleashed their first volley. Unfortunate rowers upon the
open decks screamed, and the momentum of a number of ships waned, oars falling
slack or tangling with others. One talented, or lucky, archer struck a helmsman
and the galley veered into another, scraping its side and snapping its oars,
and, no doubt, the arms of a few oarsmen too.
The Karrabans answered with arrows of their own, their
archers placed in crow’s nests and platforms built amongst the rigging. The air
quickly grew thick with darts. The persistent shouts and cries of men were
incrementally drowned out by the great crashes of stone against wood as the
loads of catapults and trebuchets fell. The frenetic scene around the quay wall
absorbed Jem’s attention. Creeping into the top of his vision, looming behind
the chaos, came the first of the great galleons. Its rowers slowed, turned portside,
level with the quay gate.
"Sir, the galleon carries the thunder. You must
stop it!" Jem shouted.
Gundar looked to where he pointed and nodded. He
dispatched messengers to the quay and artillery stations. Jem spotted hatches
opening on the portside of the ship. Catapults continued to fire at the
galleys, though some quick-thinking engineers had turned their aim to the
galleon.
Their loads fell short. The trebuchets were still
reloading. They were the only ones who had a hope of hitting it, if any of
their operators had the presence of mind to know where to aim.
One by one, their great wooden arms swung forwards.
Huge rocks hung in the air like eagles.
Everyone upon the wall had their eyes upon them,
hoping they struck, willing them to do so, and despairing as they watched each
one splash harmlessly into the water.
Listen
to an Audio Excerpt
Richie Billing writes all kinds of stories, but mostly fantasy fiction. His tales often explore real-world issues, zooming in on his characters and their troubles.
His short fiction has been widely published, with one story adapted for BBC radio. And his debut novel, an epic fantasy called Pariah's Lament, was published by Of Metal and Magic Publishing in March 2021.
Richie also hosts the podcast The Fantasy Writers’ Toolshed, a venture inspired by the requests of readers of his acclaimed craft book, A Fantasy Writers’ Handbook.
When not writing, Richie works as an editor and digital marketer and teaches creative writing both online and in his home city of Liverpool.
Most nights you can find him up into the early hours scribbling away or watching the NBA.
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