5 Things I Love About My Garden
I could never understand why my parents loved the garden so much when I was a child. Every drive would invariably lead us to a nursery. “We’ll just be a minute” my parents uttered as we groaned at the inevitable hour we would have to wait. I’ve since apologised to my parents. I now understand the excitement of a new plant.
It’s not a plant, it’s hope. You are literally planting hope.
You hope that it will grow and look like the plant on the label. You hope it will be healthy and make your garden look more beautiful. You hope you’ve invested wisely. You hope the kids will stop complaining about going to nurseries!
Having a garden is being connected to nature and the seasons.
It allows you to delight in the blossom and fresh growth of spring. To feast in the glut of summer and enjoy the golden rays that bring warmth and growth. To appreciate the autumnal cool nights and the warm days whilst enjoying the most bounty from the garden (Autumn is my favourite!). To rest and enjoy the dormant part of winter.
My love of gardening always stems from being a food lover.
You cannot beat the flavour of something just picked from the garden. My total highlight moment is when you pluck a perfectly ripe peach from the tree and you bite into it. Still warm from the kiss of the sun, you have to bend over immediately because the juices threaten to drip down your chin! The flavour hits you and at that moment you realise there’s no one richer than you.
There’s a certain amount of pleasure and pride that comes from knowing that you grew something.
Without you planting and tending your plant, you would not be enjoying it right now. Gardening gives us a living connection to generations past, who cultivated certain varieties of fruits or vegetables. At some point, someone generations ago was eating the same fruit and tasting the same flavour that you are right now!
As a creative person, I love being able to choose the style of my garden.
The garden becomes an extension of your personality. I know a few hairdressers that love topiary gardens or fiercely clipped hedges, but for me — I love romance and change. So as far as the ornamental garden goes, I always plant deciduous trees to enjoy the autumn colours, the bareness of winter, the spring blossom and the lush green of summer.
I also can’t live without roses. With so many to choose from, I love to pore over rose catalogues like a child in a lolly shop.
Gardens are for sharing!
One of the most enjoyable and rewarding things I do is share the utterly delicious jams, chutneys, fruits in syrup, pastes, and preserves I’ve made from things I’ve grown in the garden.
I’m not interested in ho-hum recipes, but the ones that make you look forward to a glut of zucchini, beetroot, or plums the following season. I delight in the ease of this process and I love sharing my methods with anyone who’s interested.
Gardeners are the most generous of people out there. Whether it’s sharing some cuttings, a recipe, a glut of produce, a method or advice — I think a gardener is the first person to offer something up without looking for a reward. I love that!
