In autumn 2020 I planted 3 secret gardens in the 3 postcode areas of Brighton and Hove, each with a small apple tree seedling grown from a pip years before. I go and visit them every few months, pull out bindweed, cut nettles, and brambles, add some wild flowers, sing a wassail.

They’re not really secret. All are on public land on the edges of city, wilder and less managed than parks. But the site of BN2 was mowed by the council at the end of 2023, so my garden was destroyed.

Meanwhile I started a secret bluebell wood at another site, with wild English bluebells grown from seeds.