Our garden in Angus is very different to our gardens in the Orkney Islands, in so many ways.

Where we were once surrounded by fields and open spaces, we are now tucked behind a busy high street. A high wall, which is thought to be older than our 1600’s house, marks one boundary and an old graveyard is on the other side of it. The boundary on the other side is rather odd as it is formed by other old buildings that look directly onto the garden.

I have to be honest, I had my reservations about that, when we were buying the house. Although the buildings have no access to the garden, it does make it feel much less private. However, it also means that where we were battling against the elements in Orkney, here our garden is completely sheltered by high walls and what an amazing difference that makes!

I have found over the past few months of living here, that I have got used the strange arrangement of buildings, and that I couldn’t help falling for the charms of this old beauty. Although it had been let go since the previous owner passed away and probably a little before that, it is clear that is has been loved and invested in, by those that lived here over the years.

Resembling Sleeping Beauty’s castle grounds (during the magical curse!) in places, so many little treasures are beginning to reveal themselves as spring begins to waken the garden and I begin to gently coax it back into order.

As a carpet of snowdrops have emerged and signs that these will be followed by daffodils, hyacinths and crocuses, I know that this first year in the garden is going to be rather magical.

Each day seems to bring something new, as shrubs that were beginning their winter rest when we arrived, are now beginning to put out leaves and flowers.

Nature has always been a catalyst for creativity in my thoughts, and I want to capture a little of this magic in my work, if I can. My garden on Rousay and the desire to follow seasonal cues, started my journey with basketry and natural dyes. Now it feels as if a return to letting nature be my guide through the year, will help to heal the past couple of years of hard graft and too little rest and at the same time bring about a steady, gentle rhythm of creativity and growth.

These last days of winter and first days of spring have been spent untangling long trailing stems of bramble, ivy and rose amongst others, which have been engulfing more delicate plants and blocking access, to large areas of the garden.

This crazy tangle is not without its own beauty and fascination though. The twisting stems looking for support, so they can spread and reach for the sun, create such beautiful shapes and graceful, sweeping waves of growth. It’s easy to miss when your eye is distracted, by what looks on the surface like a wall of plants, but when you stop looking at the big picture and zoom in on the details, there is so much to be inspired by.

I have been drawn to the idea of layering baskets since my small series of Inside and Out baskets, a couple of years ago.

The possibilities of using coiling to create a beautiful outer framework started to appear in my work in The Journey and more recently in Fairy Gold. Now I am using those ideas, along with nature’s inspiration, to create outer frameworks that appear to growing over the inner basket.

The raffia that I dyed with apple bark, from our garden, has been perfect for these pieces. The connection to materials and place, always being important in my work.

I am looking forward to seeing where this year takes me. It feels good to be taking my cues from nature and I think my work will grow alongside my garden.

When I look back at my first couple of years of basketry, I can tell immediately what season they were made in, they feel such a part of that natural rhythm. I am keen to return to that. There is something that feels so special about that connection to time, as well as place. It will be good to revisit some of those thoughts, but with all that I have learned along the way and see what emerges – just as I see what emerges from this old garden, so full of promise and character.