Plants are generally deciduous or evergreen. Those which hold onto their leaves are the latter and if I was a plant I would take on this characteristic. Well, I strayed slightly this autumn when I decided to to join the deciduous club, colour up, loose my leaves and bare my skeleton for the public, well for Perennial- The Gardeners’ Royal Benevolent Society.

Roll back a good few months say June, and an early Sunday morning. Michael Perry (Thompson and Morgan) sent a message via social media asking if I would be up for joining fellow horticulturists (grubby gardeners) in getting my kit off for charity and doing a calendar. My initial response was yes! I was half asleep, it was a Sunday morning and I don’t really do mornings. Most of us gardeners hate getting up early anyway!

A few weeks passed with the constant inner conscious talking ‘Rocky what have you done?’ ‘You’ve nothing to show’ ‘You don’t know hardly any of them’ Oh well I signed up and there’s no going back.

I don’t know what was easier, telling my clients or my own mother. Well after all imagine if they were given the calendars for Christmas? Obviously they have all purchased them but now will they see me in a new light when I mow the lawn or sweep up leaves?

So the date arrived. Shot at the Roof Gardens in Kensington, London from 8am in September. Yes it was cold, the scene was for November, it was in the shade and yes I was sh**ing myself. Well you know what I mean. Getting your kit off in front of a few strangers and industry colleagues when you are not confident with your own body is a very nerving thing to do. The beer helped though and the good spirited atmosphere helped calm the nerves. The photo shots rolled, one involved water and I was on fire. I appear in six shots by the way starting in May, so you at least can have a six month grace period until I make an appearance, fearfully and wonderfully made.

The calendar costs £9.99 and is available here.

http://shop.perennial.org.uk/stockinfo.asp?CAT=8700&STK=EC0315NS
If I can bare all, surely you can delve deep. It makes the perfect Christmas present by the way I say. They’ve done a cracking job of it!

About Perennial

Perennial is the trade charity for us horticulturists. In a nutshell they provide free, practical help and support to horticulturists/retired horticulturists when the going gets tough. They also help their immediate families. They’ve a nationwide team of caseworkers and debt advisers who are there to provide free, confidential advice, support and financial assistance whenever it is needed. Perennial has not long revamped its website, http://www.perennial.org.uk There’s lots of information on what the charity does there.