This morning I tied the last Poem to Hang in a Walled Garden onto the Poet Tree, and took a few photos of it today.

Then Frances arrived from Scottish Poetry Library, and I began to realise that actually there were lots of people in the Garden who’d come to listen to our ‘Goodbye Garden Poet’ event.

In fact the room filled and filled, and we fetched more chairs, and people perched on tables, and eventually stood.  But everyone passed along cups of tea, and trays of cakes and cream scones.  It was very friendly and informal, with a great turnout of my neighbours from Port Logan (who’ve been providing me with fresh veg and home-baking this month), several families, lots of staff from the garden, the shop and the cafe here at Logan, and some contributing poets who’d travelled to be here today – Nancy McGuffog and Rita Bradd.

I shared as many poems as I decently felt we could in the time.  We enjoyed the Stepping Stones poem again (an enduring favourite), Isa from Eucador’s poem ‘Five Stars’, poems from the Gunnera Bog, poems from the lily pond, Nancy’s poem about the Wollemi Pine, Rita’s Poem to Hang in a Walled Garden and many more.

Thank you so much, everyone on the staff at Logan Botanic Garden, the Scottish Poetry Library and Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh for creating Walking With Poets, and all the many visitors who’ve made my month such a joy.