I have written about how winter can be rather monotonous and boring working as a horticulturalist. That is still true at the site that I’m working at now, just as much as anywhere else I have worked. I am one of those people that need to be on the go all day at work, otherwise I find it really hard to be motivated. Days that are busy also stop me overthinking, which is never good for anyone!

So, if I’m not doing endless mulching and pruning of roses or anything like that, how do I keep myself interested and positive. Wherever I go, I always try to find out what plants are if I don’t already know what it is. I enjoy doing this anyway, but it is always helpful, especially if no one else knows what it is-it also makes me look good (although I do work with some very knowledgeable people, so that doesn’t happen very often).

Take this inch plant, or Tradescantia zebrina for any fellow boffins out there. The colours of the leaves are great and this is a new plant for me today. From there, I then aim to learn more about the plant on the cultivation requirements and where it comes from, etc-this is helpful for future reference.

In Sydney, we are lucky in that there is always something flowering, no matter what month of the year it is. Just this week, I have seen a couple of salvias, a bougainvillea and several camellias in flower. This always cheers me up-the more flowers there are, the better it is!

Thirdly, I like to imagine what I would do to each area if I could do anything I wanted, money was no object and nobody could object to my plant choices. This is good fun, keeps my brain ticking over and it does vary depending on what plants that I love in any given moment.

I also listen to various podcasts. Sometimes they are gardening related, but also history and anything that takes my interest. When I’m at home, I spend a lot of time reading about plants and gardens and all sorts of subjects around these, so I am a bit nerdy!

So, that’s how I try and keep myself occupied and positive in slow periods at work.