In November 2017, I launched the never-ending #MyRealView Campaign with the below message.

I would love you to take part and help make a difference!

Is it just me or does anyone else feel under pressure for their allotment or garden to look permanently Instagram ready from every angle? We all know this is completely un-realistic in reality but still feel strive to make it look that way or at least tell ourselves it should.

There is 100’s of different filters now available across Instagram and a multitude of apps. They can make you glow, remove spots and smooth every line off your face if you really want to go to the extreme lengths. Apps that make your garden look like it’s a perfect Summer’s day and your dead grass look luscious and green.  They can even make you have butterflies flying around your face.

But can they remove the weeds, wilted flowers and bolted lettuce? No!

So what do we do? We stop and be realistic! Forget the close up shots of the last remaining crops and flowers; post the weeds and the true absolute shambles that it really is sometimes. Ok, don’t forget the close-ups, but show the other side too, the side that makes other people feel like they are normal. The side that shows real life gets ahead of us all sometimes.

A number of recent events in my life really got me thinking about this subject and the pressure we all put on ourselves. Not just with how our allotments look but in all matter of every day things.

As soon as I thought about all this, I slapped myself, it’s ridiculous! I started this blog in the hope to inspire, to be that someone who the newbie gardener with no idea could actually relate to and keep things simple! Not the ‘Miss I know everything, look at my fancy pants plot’ kinda lady! That will never be me by the way.

So from today, I will make sure you see warts, weeds and all! The reality of an everyday allotment.

But I’m not doing it on my own…you have to do it as well! So get involved by posting your real view on my Facebook page, or on Twitter and Instagram using the hashtag #MyRealView.

I will re-tweet all posts and let’s get everyone showing the reality; the good, the bad and just plain ugly. Every corner of the plot, whatever the season or number of weeds.

Are you brave enough?

Here is a snapshot of the images that have been submitted so far, all equally fabulous and inspiring. You can also read some of wonderful messages I have received over the last few months here; offering their thanks for creating the campaign and helping people feel more ‘normal’.