Last month, after sixteen years, I stepped down as Gardens Editor on Country Living magazine. I’ve had a brilliant time, but I decided it was time for a life with fewer deadlines and commitments, more time to spend in my own garden, to visit other gardens, and to travel abroad to see gardens as well as wild habitats. October will be my final issue, but with the way magazines work, I’ve already handed over. I’m still writing – the blog of course and lots of freelancing – but I’m free to fit these in around being outdoors, in my own garden, or someone else’s – as much as possible. It seems to be working – in the past five days I’ve visited five gardens!