Meet Our Community: Michelle Chapman, veg plotter and garden writer

 

Let's get to know each other!

Since we're not able to meet up in person this year, let's meet online. Every week we're introducing a member* of our Fling community here and on Instagram, in their own words. We're excited to see what everyone's talking about and sharing with their followers!

(*Any garden blogger, vlogger, podcaster, or Instagrammer who follows our Instagram or is a member of our Facebook group. If you'd like to be considered or recommend someone for a Meet Our Community profile, email us.)

Michelle Chapman

Alliums and clematis in spring

Stories often come into my head fully formed when I'm gardening, or in the early hours when I'm awake. Those moments demand an outlet. My blog is 13 years old this week, and nearly 2,500 posts later I'm still finding fresh things to say. I never dreamt when I started Veg Plotting on a rainy November day that it would morph into another career for me as a garden writer. 

Veg Plotting is a mix of gardening and garden visits along with seasonal recipes, travel, and lifestyle. I'm a latecomer to gardening, so the bulk of what I write about is something I've learned or that strikes me as interesting. I smile to myself when I'm described as an expert in the papers; there's so much to learn that I still rate myself as a beginner. I'm only an expert in my own garden.

Hesperaloe in my garden inspired by Austin Fling

My small urban garden is located in the southwest of England, just south of the Cotswolds and approximately 80 miles west of London. It's comparable to USDA hardiness zone 8a. I have both deep shade and “scorchio” (hot and sunny) Mediterranean on a slope with 5 different levels. 

Since I’m close to the countryside, I try to make my plot part of our neighbourhood's wildlife corridor. My garden isn't perfect, but I'm happy to spend hour upon hour there. It's been a lifesaver this year and will continue to do so as we head into another national lockdown. 

A field of sunflowers a local farmer grew this year.
The whole town turned out to see it!

Currently I’m writing a Lockdown Life magazine for Pewsham Belles Women’s Institute. I got everyone gardening earlier this year with a tallest-sunflower competition and lettuce seeds to grow, and had an amazing response. They're all going to get pea seeds in their December care package and learn that gardening can continue even in winter! I'm also growing 50 rosemary cuttings, one for each member to be gifted when we can finally meet in person again.

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Thanks for sharing your work and your gardening passions with us, Michelle! You can follow Michelle on her blog Veg Plotting and on her Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube channel.

Photographs courtesy of Michelle Chapman.