About Us

Webfundi - Fundi is a Swahili word meaning "craftsman", or "expert" I thought it would make a change from "webmaster". Anglian Gardener was nearly called "Ojwangas Garden" after some-one called Alfie Ojwanga who I came across while living in Kenya.

Cambs Gardener / Anglian Gardener / English Gardening - This website started life as CambsGardener (Cambridgeshire Gardener) intended for the county of Cambridgeshire England only, this being where I live. It was first published on the net in November 2000.

By April 2001 I realized that many of the site visitors were from outside of Cambridgeshire, so I took the step of making the site regional rather than county. This makes more sense in that it now addresses an area of the country with a fairly even climate.

By April 2003 I realized that my audience was truly international and despite looking the other way and pretending they all came from England, a flurry of emails and suggestions from my webby-friends persuaded me to produce a US version of the site. Having gotten my head around calling cylinder mowers "reel mowers" and learning to live with the frustration that Latin names for plants don't seem to always be used in the US, I'm getting there.

About me - Paul Ward

Some time in the late 1960's my granddad decided that I should earn my sweetie money (living in Nottingham these were called "tuffees") by watering his tomato plants for him.

This was an introduction to the nitty gritty of gardening as he swore by the practice of steeping horse manure in the water that was used.

Thus, the seed for CambsGardener / Anglian Gardener / English Gardening was sown. As well as my lack of fear of germs from the earth - "Aren't you going to wash your hands before you eat those sandwiches?" - "No I don't need to, I've already wiped them on my trousers". Still I get less stomach upsets than anyone I know. Over the next 10 years I took over ever greater areas of my parents garden until I left for university.

Ten years later by the early 1990's I stopped wandering around, and stayed in one place long enough to begin to garden again. Working as teacher of "Environmental Science" I started a nursery in the school I worked in, run by pupils growing and selling hanging baskets / bedding of all kinds / bulbs / trees etc. all profits went partly to charity and partly to develop resources.

I then spent a year sweating in Mombasa, Kenya which being at sea-level on the equator allowed me to grow wonderful plants with 4 foot + long leaves from seedling to 6ft high in a few months. I trained a  Bougainvillea up to the top floor of the house until my neighbor told me how a poisonous snake had taken up residence in the Bougainvillea that grew over his balcony. Mimosa pudica, the sensitive plant provided entertainment as it grew in great quantity outside the front door (it's a roadside weed on the equator) until I became bored with throwing soil on it and watching it "wilt". 

Back again to UK and forwards to the late 90's, (much voluntary gardening and raising of plants in the meantime) when I began to arrange garden "make-overs" professionally. This was when I made contacts and built up my muscles in an attempt to look like a Kenyan gardener (imagine what you'd look like if you had to cut 1/4 acre of grass without a lawn-mower).

And so eventually CambsGardener bloomed after about 30 years. I now teach again and spend much of the time not doing so involved in staring at my computer screen or travelling the county and thinking "gardening thoughts" and what to do next on the site.

Contact Information

The email address at the bottom of the page is the best way to get in touch, I have removed the phone number as it kept getting inappropriately put into "directories" leading to waste of time phone calls from people trying to sell me container loads of tropical timber (to make garden furniture and decking), wetsuits(!), and all the usual "business services"

Postal address    64 High Street, Great Paxton, St. Neots. Cambs. PE19 6RF. UK

Brilliant Site! Just browsing through, but definitely warrants regular visits. My garden is a disgrace, so your site should hopefully provide all I need - advice and humour!

I love your site - practical, informative and humorous, without being prissy, patronising or pedantic. Marvelous stuff - keep up the good work! I will definitely be recommending you to the Web section of Gardener's World magazine.

I discovered you by accident a few months ago and have enjoyed every visit since then, I wish you a long and successful web presence.

Thanks v much Paul - for brilliant advice I couldn't find anywhere.

Dear Paul , Just wanted to say how appropriate the 'editorial' was this month. We garden to save our sanity in a world gone mad over the past few months ! For me its about healing and a great restorative for the soul , Ms Greer's quote is so very true . Take care - seasonal good wishes. Michael

This is a really excellent site. Incredibly easy to navigate around and fantastically informative.

A good and informative website, something I feel will be an asset to present and future gardeners.

I am very impressed with your gardening site - have just spent several hours looking and was determined not to miss anything. Have taken copious notes as I am planning the planting of my front garden. Thank you.

Very good site for interest and information. Congratulations on providing a source of gardening info.

My other sites:

Antarctica travel, pictures and information