If I told you that 2009 was the best year ever - I'd be seriously mis-informing you. It was, in fact, the "Year We Had To Have". You know what I'm talking about - those time periods where nothing seems to fit, everything appears to break and one day meanders into another without any noticeable difference.

I don't want to be all melancholic, especially with the hope a New Year on the horizon, but this is the 4th anniversary of this blog and time to look back over a year that wasn't as incredible as it could have been. The reasons are varied but they predominantly centre around the "blogger" rather than the "blog". For while this blog has aimed at sharing helpful gardening tips, hints and ideas it is still centred around one person's notional experiences.

It all started around April 2009 when I tore my Achilles tendon and was in plaster for more than 10 weeks. Initially, it seemed like "blogger's heaven" being able to do little else other than rest my laptop on my elevated lap. Yet it wasn't long before the novelty wore off and I realised how limited I was going to be - especially in the garden.

By the middle of winter my leg had healed but my confidence to walk again was a tad clumsy. Plus, with the onset of the wetter, colder months there wasn't a whole lot to do in the garden except plan for Spring. Fortunately, it came soon enough and I began planting out our veggie patch with gusto. My dreams for more space to grow produce began to blossom until they were quickly nipped in the bud with requests for more play area for the children.

To another gardener, gaining more space to grow plants and vegetables is a very worthy pursuit but to a mother of four children trying to keep their PlayStation and PC addictions to a minimum it doesn't quite "cut the mustard". Instead, the flourishing veggie patch will be paved and replaced by a basketball court and sunken trampoline...c'est la vie.

Having picked up my dreams I'm now planning for a brighter future. Halfway through 2010 our family is heading around Australia for a 6-month trip (more details later!) where I shall be blogging about some of the great gardens and plants of this vast country. Then, on our return, we shall commence working towards acquiring a larger piece of property - hopefully 100 acres or more - to develop and plant out to my heart's content.

So, while this year could be considered a "gardening write-off" the future is certainly looking better and I will continue to rack the experiences up through this blog.

To you, and yours, I wish you a very Happy New Year and look forward to keeping in touch throughout 2010.