Back in March 1999, the 29th to be precise, I received an e-mail enquiring about trough curing times. The sender was a lady by the name of Sherba Nelson from Lexington, Kentucky.

Some 3000 plus e-mails, almost as many telephone calls and four visits later, the delightful Ms Nelson has agreed to become "joint owner" of The Alpine Garden..........the wedding to take place at St. George's Church in Manchester, England on 28th December 2002.

In addition to being a superb trough maker, Sherba is a most wonderful gardener, photographer and wildflower enthusiast with a tremendous sense of adventure and more energy for life than anyone I know.  I have been privileged to accompany her on wildflower jaunts  throughout Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia.

Her first love (well, after me that is *grin*), is the Ocean, and she has the most wonderful collection of shells which she turns into works of art by way of Christmas and floral decorations, some of which have been featured on my TAG Christmas cards. I hope her artistic talents will breathe new life into TAG, the way she has into me.

To say I am overjoyed at the prospect of spending the rest of my life with Sherba is an understatement of great magnitude and I just wanted to share this news with my many friends across the world.