Every Gardener's Best Friend

Stephen is a very responsible gardening partner. In the general day to day running of the garden he tries to stay out of sight. In holidays, when bored, he might ask questions about new plants and new borders. Occasionally he can be persuaded to wheel barrowfuls of weeds to the dumping places.

Stephen is every gardener's best friend

Sometimes he will be inadvertantly critical. For example, Stephen doesn't believe that plants can be shifted in summer (they can) or that his well designed irrigation system doesn't reach every part of the house gardens (it doesn't). He hates excess trees and shrubs getting the chop.

It's interesting trying to get Stephen to build a structure for the garden. I have to appeal to the intelligent analytical nerd inside him, putting forward my request as a problem for him to solve. Then, with a bit of luck, I can get some partial commitment, which gives me something to work on. I am currently trying for a second pond, so I have prepared a list of civil engineering and fluid dynamics questions which should whett his appetite.