I’ve been gardening for over five years and in all that time I’ve managed without a wheelbarrow. For me, a wheelbarrow was one of those things that other people with bigger gardens had. In the previous garden it would have been tricky to guide it round some of the paths and I’d also have nowhere to store it. I just didn’t need one.

All that changed when we moved to a much larger garden and suddenly, I was spending ages to-ing and fro-ing across the length of the garden trying to carry all the tools, plants, compost and rubbish about. I also found myself yo-yoing back and forth because I would often forget things. It was all becoming a bit difficult and frustrating.

Well, a few days ago, salvation arrived in a box:

Just a short while with a couple of tools, some puzzling and a little cussing and voila:

A beautiful, brand-new wheelbarrow, all of my very own. My first wheelbarrow (and I hope it stays that way for some time). Just look at its sleek curves and aerodynamic shape. Features such as a tipping nose and comfort-grip handles make using this wheelbarrow effortless. I still grin each time I proudly place things into my wheelbarrow, wheel it to where I am working and then unload it. Sometimes I exclaim (loudly for the neighbours to hear), “mercy me, were it not for this fortuitous wheelbarrow I should quickly become undone!”.

I feel as though I have become a “real” gardener with the wheelbarrow as proof of membership.