Gardening

Apart from shortwave radio, writing, collecting and making music, another interest of “One Deck” Pete is gardening.

He was introduced into the hobby at a young age as his dad was a keen Chrysanthemum and Dahlia grower. As Pete grew older, he discovered punk and went into denial about horticulture until he moved to London in his early twenties and got a job as a council gardener. This is where he learnt the art of working the soil alongside watching the clock, dodging work and gaining skills like how long you can balance on a spade for while talking to passers-by. It was in this role where he had meetings with Johnny Rotten, Glen Matlock and the Mutoid Waste Company (a member of the group wanted to customise one of the council mowers “They won’t mind in fact they’d enjoy it”. If only the offer was taken up!) among many others.

After a year or two he hung up his council overalls and became a student of graphic design. A long time has passed since then but gardening is still in his blood. In a back yard that once had parts of old bikes festered in the flowerbeds and mummified underpants hiding in the knee high weeds he still finds pleasure today from the hobby. This blog combines all his interests with a high bias of horticulture and stories of strange goings on beyond his back door.