I’ve never actually climbed a ladder to prune a huge wisteria, as the characters in my story published in the current (11th March) issue of Ireland’s Own. However, if it wasn’t for the ladder part I reckon that, thanks to my research, I’d be able to do it.

One of the things I learned is that you don’t usually tackle the job in one go, but do it in stages, with a light trim in summer and a more thorough cut back later. That’s appropriate as this story was written in two stages. The original version was for my writing group’s annual competition. It didn’t win, but was up against stiff competition and the judge said nice things about it.

I decided to extend it for a magazine – it’s now twice the initial length, with much more detail and a more involved plot. The story was accepted and will later go into one of my themed collections, so even if I never go anywhere near a wisteria plant with a pair of secateurs, I feel learning how to do the job was worthwhile.